U.  S.  DEPARTMENT  OF  LABOR 

JAMES  J.  DAVIS.  Secretary 

CHILDREN'S  BUREAU 

GRACE  ABBOTT.  Chief 


THE 


CHICAGO  JUVENILE  COURT 


By 
HELEN  RANKIN  JETER 


Bureau  Publication  No.  104 


WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE 

1922 


THE   UNIVERSITY   OF   ILLINOIS  AT  CHICAGO 


3  8198  316  384  245 


U.  S.  DEPARTMENT  OF  LABOR 

JAMES  J.  DAVIS,  Secretary 

CHILDREN'S  BUREAU 

GRACE  ABBOTT,  Chief 


THE 


CHICAGO  JUVENILE  COURT 


By 

HELEN  RANKIN  JETER 


Bureau  Publication  No.  104 


WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE 

1922 


OWING  TO  LIMITED  APPROPRIATIONS  FOR  PRINTING,  IT  IS 

NOT  POSSIBLE  TO  DISTRIBUTE  THIS  BULLETIN  IN  LARGE 

QUANTITIES.     ADDITIONAL    COPIES    MAY  BE    PROCURED 

FROM  THE  SUPERINTENDENT  OF  DOCUMENTS 

GOVERNMENT  PRINTING   OFFICE 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C. 

AT 

15  CENTS    PER  COPY 


CONTENTS. 


Letter  of  transmittal v 

Editor's   note vii 

Origin  and  development  of  tiie  Cook  County  juvenile  court. 1 

Tlie  jurisdiction  of  the  court 11-16 

Cliaracter  of  the  court  and  area  covered 11 

Classes   of  cases 11 

Jurisdiction  over  children  accused  of  committing  serious  offenses 14 

Age   groups 15 

Jurisdiction  over  adults 16 

The  administrative  problems  of  the  court 17-25 

Number  of  children  brought  into  court 17 

Problems  relating  to  the  delinquent  child 18 

Problems  relating  to  the  dependent  child 21 

Organization  of  the  court 2(>-34 

The   judge 26 

Woman  assistant  to  the  judge  to  hear  cases  of  delinquent  girls 27 

The  probation  department 28-33 

Appointment  and  discharge 28 

Number 29 

Salaries    30 

Organization 30 

Police  probation   officers 32 

Records  and  reports 38-34 

Annual    reports 33 

Case  records 33 

Other  records  and  forms 34 

Preliminary   procedure 35-48 

Complaint  and  petition 35 

Investigation 35-42 

Dependent   children 36 

Delinquent  girls 39 

Delinquent  boys 39 

Police  probation  officers'  investigation 40 

Other  investigations 41 

Adjustment  of  cases  without  court  action 42 

Physical  and  mental  examinations 46 

Detention 49-56 

Detention  policy 49 

Number  of  children  cared  for  in  detention  home 50 

Overcrowding 51 

Equipment  of  the  juvenile  detention  home 53 

Reception  of  children 54 

The  daily  routine 55 

Dietary 56 

Clothing 56 

in 


rV  CONTENTS. 

Page. 
Hearings 57-62 

Summons 57 

Time  and  place 58 

Procedure 59 

Cases  of  dependent  cliildren 60 

Cases  of  delinquent  girls 61 

Cases  of  feeble-minded  children 62 

Aid  to  mothers  cases 62 

The  court  order 63-90 

Dismissal    and    continuance G3-68 

Dismissed  and  continued  generally 63 

Continued  for  a  definite  period 65 

The  final  order 68-90 

Probation 71 

Appointment  of  guardian 78 

Commitment  to  child-placing  societies 84 

Commitjuent  to  hospitals  and  schools  for  defectives 85 

Deportation 85 

Commitment   to   institutions 85-88 

Dependent   children 86 

Delinquent  boys 87 

Delinquent   girls 88 

Transfer  to  the  criminal  court. 88 

Other  procedure  in  cases  of  delinquent  children 90 

Subsequent  relationship  of  the  court,  the  child,  and  the  custodial  agency.  91-99 

The  court  and  the  guardian 92 

The  court  and  the  institution 93-97 

Institutions  for  delinquent  children 93 

Institutions  for  dependent  children 94 

Recovery  of  children  who  escape  from  institutions 97 

Following  up  the  dependent  child  and  his  family 98 

Cooperation  with  otJier  agencies 100-107 

Social  agencies 100 

Relationship  to  other  courts 103 

List  of  references  to  Illinois  statutory  sources 109 

Index 111 


LETTER  OF  TRANSMITTAL. 


U.  S.  Department  of  Labor, 

Children's  Bureau, 
WasMntgon,  May  i,  1922. 
Sir:  There   is   transmitted   herewith    a    report   o\\   the    Chicago 
Juvenile  Court  by  Helen  R.  Jeter,  one  of  a  series  of  studies  now  being 
made  by  the  Children's  Bureau. 

It  is  believed  that  this  description  of  the  organization  and  methods 
of  operation  of  the  oldest  and  one  of  the  largest  juvenile  courts  in 
the  country  will  be  of  special  value  to  all  students  of  juvenile  delin- 
quency. 

In  planning  the  investigation  and  -writing  the  report  Miss  Jeter 
had  the  assistance  and  counsel  of  Prof.  S.  P.  Breckinridge,  of  the 
University  of  Chicago,  who  also  edited  the  report. 
Respectfully  submitted. 

Grace  Abbott,  Chief. 
Hon.  James  J.  Davis, 

Secretary  of  Labor. 

V 


EDITOR'S  NOTE. 


The  following  study  of  the  Cook  County,  111.,  juvenile  court,  the 
oldest  of  the  juvenile  courts  organized  under  express  statutory  au- 
thority, was  made  during  the  period  between  January  1,  1920,  and 
June  30,  1921. 

Miss  Helen  R.  Jeter,  now  assistant  in  the  graduate  school  of  social 
service  administration  of  the  University  of  Chicago,  formerly  of  the 
Chicago  School  of  Civics  and  Philanthropy,  with  the  assistance  of 
various  investigators,  collected  the  material  and  wrote  the  report. 

The  sources  drawn  upon  for  the  study  were  the  records  of  many 
cases  covering  the  whole  history  of  the  court,  selected  at  random;  the 
careful  summarizing  of  95  cases  heard  by  the  court  during  the  first 
two  weeks  of  January,  1920 ;  a  study  of  the  statutes  under  which  the 
court  has  developed;  the  annual  reports  of  the  court,  of  the  chief 
probation  officer,  and  of  other  county  officials,  ordinarily  contained 
in  the  "  Charity  Service  Reports,  Cook  County,  111." ;  and  interviews 
with  the  officers  of  the  court,  of  the  JuA^enile  Detention  Home,  and 
of  the  Institute  for  Juvenile  Research.  To  all  of  these  grateful 
acknowledgments  are  made.  The  report,  of  course,  could  not  have 
been  prepared  without  the  consent  of  Judge  Victor  P.  Arnold  or 
the  helpful  and  sympathetic  cooperation  of  the  chief  probation  officer, 
]Mr.  Joseph  L.  Moss. 

The  Illinois  Legislature  met  in  the  winter  of  1921,  In  preparation 
for  that  session  the  director  of  the  department  of  public  welfare  of 
Illinois  appointed  a  committee  of  persons  interested  in  child  welfare 
work  for  the  purpose  of  "  setting  forth  a  program  of  adequate  child 
care,  of  correlating  efforts  of  existing  boards  and  departments  in  the 
interests  of  children,  of  codifying  the  laws  relating  to  children,  and 
establishing  throughout  the  State  minimum  standards  of  child  wel- 
fare."^ Judge  Arnold  was  an  active  and  helpful  member  of  that 
committee,  and  during  the  session  of  the  legislature  he  gave  effective 
support  to  a  revision  of  the  aid-to-mothers  law,^  granting  to  the 
court  more  ample  powers  in  the  matter  of  making  allowances  under 

1  Report  of  the  Department  of  Tublic  Welfare  of  Illinois,  Children's  Committee,  De>- 
cember,,  1020,   p.  3. 

^Laws  of  Illinois,   1921,  p.   1G2. 


VIII  THE   CHICAGO   JUVENILE   COURT, 

that  act  and  providing  for  an  increase  in  the  fund  now  known  as  the 
mothers'  pension  fund. 

On  June  6,  1921,  Judge  Arnold,  for  five  years  judge  of  the  juvenile 
court,  was  reelected  by  a  substantial  majority,  thus  assuring  the 
court  of  community  confidence  and  support  in  the  development  of  a 
program  which  will  make  possible  the  elimination  of  some  of  the 
administrative  difficulties  which,  as  this  report  indicates,  have  reduced 
the  efficiency  of  the  court  in  the  past. 

S.  P.  Breckinridge. 


THE  CHICAGO  JUVENILE  COURT. 


ORIGIN  AND  DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  COOK  COUNTY 
JUVENILE  COURT. 

Before  the  enactment  of  the  juvenile-court  law  in  Illinois  children 
who  had  violated  the  law  were  dealt  with  exactly  as  adult  persons 
charged  with  crime  with  respect  to  arrest,  detention,  and  trial. 
Illinois  had  been  admitted  to  the  Union  as  a  common-law  State  in 
1818.  The  age  of  criminal  resi)onsibility  was  therefore  T  years, 
until  the  enactment  of  the  criminal  code  in  1827,^  which  raised  the 
age  to  10.  The  child  of  10  or  more  might,  however,  still  be  consid- 
ered a  criminal,  and  this  provision  -  remains  unchanged  to  the  pres- 
ent time,  though  its  importance  has  been  considerably  aifected  by 
other  enactments. 

Judge  Merritt  W.  Pinckney,  formerly  judge  of  the  juvenile  court, 
described  the  situation  of  the  child  of  10  or  more  prior  to  July  1, 
1899,  in  the  following  language : 

When  a  law  of  the  State  was  violated  the  State  demanded  vindication,  the 
same  vindication  from  a  lad  of  12  as  from  an  adult  of  2.5.  Punishment,  not 
reformation,  was  the  first  fundamental  thought  of  our  criminal  jurisprudence ; 
punis-hment  as  an  expiation  for  the  wrong  and  as  a  warning  to  other  possible 
wrongdoers.  The  lad  of  12  years  was  arrested,  put  in  jail,  indicted  by  the 
grand  jury,  tried  by  a  petit  jury,  with  all  the  formality  of  the  criminal  law, 
and  if  12  men,  tried  and  true,  found  that  he  had  violated  some  law,  then  the 
great  Commonwealth  of  Illinois,  through  the  judgment  of  the  court,  visited  its 
punishment   upon   him.^ 

The  only  point  at  which  the  treatment  of  the  juvenile  criminal 
differed  from  that  of  the  adult  was  the  form  that  such  punishment 
might  take.  As  early  as  1831  certain  exceptions  are  found  in  the 
method  of  punishing  minors.  An  act  *  of  that  year  providing  for  the 
establishment  of  a  State  penitentiary  stated  that  persons  under  18 
were  not  included  in  the  terms  of  that  law,  but  were  still  to  be  dealt 
with  under  the  criminal  code  of  1827.^ 

1  "  An  infant  under  tlip  ago  of  10  years  shall  not  be  found  pruilty  of  any  crime  or 
misdemeanor."     Revised  Laws  of  Illinois  1827,  p.   121,  sec.  4. 

2  Kurd's  Illinois  Revised  Statutes  1019,  cli.  3S,  sec.  283. 

3  Charity  Service  Reports,  Cook  County,  III.,  1913,  p.  216. 
*  Laws  of  Illinois  1S30-31,  p.  103,  sec.  43. 

^  This  meant  considerably  lighter  sentences  for  persons  under  18.  The  act  of  1831 
imposed  sentences  varying  from  7  yeans  to  life  imprisonment  in  the  penitentiary,  while 
the  criminal  code  of  1827,  which  was  still  to  remain  in  operation  for  young  persons, 
imposed  sentences  of  whipping,  fines,  and  imprisonment,  u.sually  not  over  3  years,  for 
the  same  offenses.      (Revised  Laws  of  Illinois  1827,  p.  124,  &ecs.  29,  46,  47,  48,  50.) 


2  THE   CHICAGO   JtTVENH.E   COUKT. 

In  1833  the  criminal  code  included  for  the  first  time  the  provision 
that  "  persons  under  18  shall  not  be  punished  by  confinement  in  the 
jienitentiary  for  any  offense  except  robbery,  burglary,  or  arson ;  in  all 
other  cases  where  a  penitentiary  punishment  is  or  shall  be  provided, 
such  person  under  the  age  of  18  shall  be  punished  by  imprisonment 
in  the  county  jail  for  any  term  not  exceeding  18  months  at  the  dis- 
cretion of  the  court." " 

This  provision  remained  the  only  statute  modifying  the  treatment 
of  minors  until  1867,  when  provision  was  made  for  the  establishment 
of  the  first  State  reform  school^  This  act  provided  ^  that  "  All  courts 
of  competent  jurisdiction  are  hereby  authorized  to  exercise  their  dis- 
cretion, in  sending  juvenile  offenders  to  the  county  jails,  in  accord- 
ance with  the  laws  made  and  provided,  or  in  sending  them  to  the 
reform  school."  The  school  was  established  for  boys  under  18,  while 
girls  of  that  age  throughout  the  State,  as  well  as  boys  in  Cook 
County,  were  committed  to  the  reformatory  already  established  in 
Chicago.  Persons  under  18  could  no  longer  be  committed  to  the 
penitentiary  for  arson,  burglary,  or  robbery,  but  commitment  to 
county  jails  for  these  ond  other  offenses  was  left  to  the  discretion  of 
the  courts. 

In  1874  the  law  concerning  jails  and  jailers  was  amended  by  the 
addition  of  a  provision^  requiring  that  minors  should  be  "kept  sepa- 
rate from  notorious  offenders  and  those  convicted  of  a  felony  or  other 
infamous  crime." 

In  1891  the  State  reformatory  was  divided  into  two  departments, 
one  for  boys  between  10  and  16,  the  other  for  boys  between  16  and 
21.^°  The  act  passed  at  this  time  required  that  boys  under  16  con- 
victed of  an  offense  punishable  by  imprisonment  in  a  county  jail  or 
penitentiary  be  committed  to  the  reformatory,  although  those  guilty 
of  minor  offenses  might  still  be  punished  in  county  jails. 

The  statute  authorizing  the  establishment  of  the  Illinois  Home 
for  Juvenile  Offenders  was  enacted  in  1893  and  provided  for  com- 
mitment to  the  home,  at  the  discretion  of  the  court,  of  girls  between 
the  ages  of  10  and  16  who  were  convicted  of  offenses  punishable  by 
imprisonment  in  a  county  jail  or  house  of  correction."  In  1895  this 
law  was  amended  to  include  offenses  punishable  by  imprisonment  in 
the  penitentiary.^- 

Thus,  until  the  enactment  of  the  juvenile  court  law  in  1899,  the 
delinquent  child  between  10  and  16  was  subject  to  all  the  criminal 

"Revised  Laws  of  Illinois,  ISSS,  p.  209,  sec.  158. 

■^  Ibid.,,  1867,  p.  42. 

8  Ibid.,  sec.  16. 

'•'  llurd's  Illinois  Revised  Statutes  1874,  ch.  75,  sec.   11. 

»o  Laws  of  Illinois  1891,  p.  52,  sec.  9. 

11  Ibid.,  1893,  p.  2.^,  sees.  16  and  17. 

"^Ibid.,  1895,  p.  295. 


OKIGIlSr   AND  DEVELOPMENT   OF   THE   COUET.  3 

processes  applicable  to  adults  so  far  as  arrest,  detention,  and  trial 
were  concerned  and  could  still  be  committed  to  a  house  of  correction 
or  to  a  county  jail  at  the  discretion  of  the  court,  except  for  more 
serious  offenses,  for  which  he  was  committed  to  a  State  reformatory.^^ 

For  the  care  of  dependent  children,  provision  had  been  made  by 
"  An  act  to  provide  industrial  schools  for  girls  "  in  1879  ^*  and  "An 
act  to  provide  for  and  aid  training  schools  for  boys"  in  1883.^^ 
These  acts  provided  for  the  incorporation  of  industrial  and  training 
schools  to  receive  dependent  children  under  18  who  were  committed 
to  their  care  by  the  county  court  and  for  whose  support  the  county 
might  pay  a  certain  amount.  The  schools  were  subject  to  State 
supervision  but  received  no  State  appropriations.  Cases  were 
brought  to  the  attention  of  the  court  by  petition,  and  a  jury  of  six 
was  required  to  pass  upon  the  question  of  dependency. 

The  validity  of  the  earlier  of  these  two  acts  was  attacked  in  1882, 
on  the  following  groimds:  (1)  That  the  institutions  created  under 
the  act  were  really  joenal  institutions,  and,  therefore,  that  commitment 
was  a  punishment  resulting  in  the  restraint  of  liberty,  and  that  the 
procedure,  therefore,  violated  various  constitutional  safeguards  such 
as  trial  by  a  jury  of  12;  (2)  that  the  institutions  might  be  sectarian 
within  the  meaning  of  the  constitutional  prohibition  against  pay- 
ment of  public  funds  to  sectarian  institutions;  (3)  that  the  liability 
for  the  support  of  dependent  female  children  could  not  be  placed 
upon  the  county.  None  of  these  objections  was,  however,  sustained 
by  the  court.  The  second  of  these  arguments  was  the  basis  for  an 
action  brought  in  1917,  but  its  validity  was  again  denied.^^  Thus  the 
earlier  law  was  upheld.^'  The  validity  of  the  second  act  has  never 
been  attacked. 

These  acts  still  remain  in  operation  and  were  not  affected  by  the 
passage  of  the  juvenile  court  law  except  that  jurisdiction  in  de- 
pendent cases  was  bestoAved  upon  the  circuit  as  well  as  the  county 
courts  in  other  counties  than  Cook,  in  Cook  County  being  restricted 
to  the  circuit  court. 

The  so-called  juvenile  court  act  of  1899,  under  which  the  juvenile 
court  of  Cook  County  was  established,  was  the  culmination  of  nearly 
10  years'  discussion  and  experiment  on  the  part  of  social  agencies 
and  of  persons  interested  in  child  welfare.     As  early  as  1891  the 

"  Kurd's  Illinois  Revised  Statuto.s,  1S!)7,  di.  118. 

"  Laws  of  niinois  1879,  p.  309. 

16  Ibid.,  1883,  p.  1G8. 

wDunn  r.  Chicago  Industrial  School,,  280  111.  613. 

"  Petition  of  Ferrier,  103  111.  367,  and  County  of  McLean  r.  Humphreys,  104  111.  378. 
Art.  VIII,  sec.  3,  of  the  State  constitution  provides  that  "  neither  the  general  assembly 
nor  any  county,  city,  town,  township,  school  district,  or  other  public  corporation  shall 
ever  make  any  appropriation  or  pay  from  any  public  fund  whatever  anything  in  aid  of 
any  church  or  sectarian  purpose,  or  to  help  sustain  or  support  any  school  controlled  by 
any  church  or  sectarian  deuomination  whatever." 


4  THE    CHICAGO    JUVENILE    COURT. 

Visitation  and  Aid  Society  of  Chicago^®  introduced  into  the  legisla- 
ture a  bill  designed  to  give  an  authoritative  basis  for  the  work  of 
that  society  by  providing  for  the  commitment  of  children  to  the  care 
of  organizations  of  the  same  general  character.  The  bill,  however, 
failed  of  passage. ^^  It  dealt  only  with  dependent  and  neglected  chil- 
dren and,  had  it  been  passed,  would  have  solved  only  part  of  the 
problem. 

One  of  the  first  efforts  in  behalf  of  delinquent  children  was  made 
about  1893,  when  a  school  for  the  boys  in  the  county  jail  was  started 
by  a  private  citizen  and  was  later  taken  over,  supported,  and  estab- 
lished on  a  fairly  permanent  basis  by  the  Chicago  Woman's  Club.^" 
Not  the  least  important  of  the  results  of  this  experiment  was  the 
public  interest  aroused  in  the  number  of  children  confined  in  the 
county  jail  and  in  the  condition  of  these  children.  An  effort  soon 
developed  to  secure  a  special  law  dealing  with  the  treatment  of  de- 
linquent children ;  and  in  1895,  after  a  study  of  the  probation  system 
established  in  1878  in  Massachusetts  for  both  adults  and  children,-''"  a 
bill  was  drafted  at  the  instance  of  the  Chicago  Woman's  Club,  con- 
taining provisions  for  a  separate  court  and  for  a  probation  staff.  The 
question  of  its  constitutionality  was  raised,  however,  and  the  bill 
was  abandoned  without  being  introduced  in  the  legislature.  During 
the  next  few  years  the  Chicago  Woman's  Club  continued  to  support 
the  school  in  the  county  jail,  established  manual  training  in  the  house 
of  correction,  and  secured  separate  housing  for  boys  committed  to 
that  institution.  Considerable  discussion  of  the  various  problems 
connected  with  the  care  and  treatment  of  the  young  offender  in  Cook 
County  was  carried  on  in  the  press  and  in  public  meetings  during 
this  period. 

In  1898  the  questions  of  the  reform  of  court  procedure  and  of  a 
probation  system  were  among  the  subjects  discussed  by  the  Illinois 
State  Conference  of  Charities,  and  at  that  time  Dr.  Frederick  W. 
Wines,  the  veteran  prisoner  reformer,  formerly  secretary  of  the 
Illinois  State  Board  of  Charities,  declared : 

We  make  criminals  out  of  children  who  are  not  criminals  by  treating  them  as 
if  they  were  criminals.  That  ought  to  be  stopped.  What  we  should  have  in 
our  system  of  criminal  jurisprudence  is  an  entirely  separate  system  of  courts 
for  children  in  large  cities  who  commit  offenses  which  would  be  criminal  in 
adults.  We  ought  to  have  a  "children's  court "  in  Chicago,  and  we  ought  to 
have  a  "  children's  judge,"  who  should  attend  to  no  other  business.  We  want 
some  place  of  detention  for  those  children  other  than  a  prison  (reference  made 

18  Hurley,  T.  D.  :  "  Development  of  tlie  juvenile  court  idea,"  in  Charities,  Vol.  XI.  p.  423 
(Nov.  7,  IDO.T). 

1*  For  draft  of  bill,  see  Hurley,  T.  D. :  Juvenile  Courta  and  What  They  Have  Accom- 
plished.    The  Visitation  and  Aid  Society,  Chicago,  1904. 

~°  Most  of  these^  facts  regarding  the  early  history  of  the  Illinois  juvenile  court  move- 
ment are  drawn  from  'Lathrop,  .iulia  C.  :  "  Develop nu^it  of  the  probation  system  in  a 
large  city,"  in  Charities,  Vol.  XIII,  p.  344  fC.    (.Tan.  7,   1905). 

=»'' Massachusetts  Acts  and  Resolves,  1878,  ch.  178,  p.  146. 


ORIGIN   AND  DEVELOPMENT  OF   THE    COURT.  5 

to  the  New  York  system  of  detention).  A  thing  we  want  to  borrow  from  the 
State  of  Massachusetts  is  its  system  of  probation.  No  child  ought  to  be  tried 
unle.ss  lie  has  a  friend  in  court  to  look  after  his  real  interests  *  *  *  In 
such  cases  in  Massachusetts  the  .iudge  sends  a  probation  lawyer  to  investigate 
the  conditions  of  the  home  and  all  the  circumstances  surrounding  the  case.^ 

The  Illinois  State  Board  of  Public  Charities,  the  Illinois  Federa- 
tion of  Women's  Clubs,  the  Chicago  Bar  Association,  the  Chicago 
Board  of  Education,  and  the  Illinois  State  Conference  of  Charities, 
all  interested  themselves  in  the  passage  of  the  act  entitled  "An  act 
to  regulate  the  treatment  and  control  of  dependent,  neglected,  and 
delinquent  children,""  which  was  signed  April  21  and  went  into 
effect  July  1,  1899. 

This  law  contained  the  essential  features  of  later  juvenile-court 
legislation.  In  it  were  provisions  (1)  for  the  separate  hearing-'^  of 
children's  cases  in  a  court  having  chtmcer^^ra^hei'_lhaiL 
jurisdiction;  (2)  for  the  detention  of  children  apart  from  adult 
offenders;  and  (3)  for  a  probation  system.  It  was,  however,  weak 
at  many  points,  and  its  administration  had  often  to  be  supplemented 
by  private  effort.  A  number  of  amendments  -*  intended  to  cure  the 
various  weaknesses  of  the  original  law  have  been  adopted,  and  the 
present  organization  and  practice  of  courts  acting  under  the  statute 
are  the  result  of  a  gradual  development  that  is  probably  not  yet  com- 
plete. The  present  study  deals  with  only  one  of  those  courts,  namely, 
the  Cook  County  court  sitting  in  Chicago.  That  court  operates 
under  such  provisions  of  the  act  as  are  of  general  application  and 
under  other  provisions  applying  to  counties  of  more  than  500,000 
population — that  is,  to  Cook  County. 

The  first  session  of  the  Cook  County  court  was  held  on  July  1, 
1899,  and  at  that  session,  Mrs.  Alzena  P.  Stevens,  a  resident  of  Hull 
House,  volunteered  to  serve  as  probation  officer.-^  The  act  had  au- 
thorized the  creation  of  a  probation  staff  for  the  probationary  care 
of  delinquent  children,  but  it  was  also  specified  that  such  officers 
should  not  be  paid  from  public  funds.-'''  The  framers  of  the  act  had 
acquiesced  in  this  program  for  two  reasons :  ^^  First,  because  they 
feared  lest  the  prospective  cost  invoh'ed  in  the  payment  of  proba- 
tion officers  might  defeat  the  bill;  and,  second,  because  pro])ation 
officers  if  paid  from  public  funds  might  be  selected  on  a  political 
basis.  The  salaries  of  Mrs.  Stevens  and  four  or  five  other  volunteer 
officers  were  raised  for  the  first  few  years  by  private  subscription. 

=1  Fifteenth  Biennial  Ueport  of  the  Board  of  State  Commi.ssioner.s  of  Public  Charities 
of  the  State  of  Illinois   (1898),  p.  3.36. 

^  Lawsi  of  Illinois  1899,  p.  131. 

"3  Section  3  required  a  special  court  room  in  Chicago. 

-*The  law  of  1899  was  amended:  1901.  p.  141:  190.-.,  pp.  151  and  1.52:  1907.  p.  70; 
and  1911,  p.  126. 

^  Lathrop,  Julia  C.  :  "Development  of  the  probation  system  in  a  large  city,'  in 
Charities,  Vol.  XIII,  p.  345   (.Tan.  7,  190.5). 

»Laws  of  Illinois  1899,  p.  131,  sec.  6. 


6  THE   CHICAGO   JUVENILE   COURT. 

In  1904  those  interested  in  the  support  of  these  probation  officers 
incorporated  as  the  Juvenile  Court  Committee,^^  and  by  that  time 
the  number  of  officers  had  increased  to  15,  of  whom  4  were  men  and 
11  were  women. 

Besides  these  officers,  representatives  of  various  social  agencies, 
such  as  the  Illinois  Children's  Home  and  Aid  Society  (nonsectarian 
Protestant),  the  Visitation  and  Aid  Society  (Koman  Catholic),  and 
the  Bureau  of  Personal  Service  (Jewish),  were  commissioned  as 
probation  officers.  Individuals  interested  in  particular  cases  were 
also  appointed  as  volunteer  probation  officers.  Moreover,  in  1899 
the  mayor  of  Chicago  at  the  request  of  the  judge  of  the  juvenile 
court  directed  that  two  police  officers  from  each  station  be  detailed 
as  probation  officers.^® 

In  1905,  15  probation  officers  were  being  paid  by  the  Juvenile  Court 
Committee,  and  about  20  police  officers  were  assigned  to  work  with 
the  juvenile  court.-^  In  that  year  an  amendment  was  adopted  ^'^  pro- 
viding that  in  counties  of  more  than  500,000  population  (i.  e..  Cook 
County)  the  judges  of  the  circuit  court  might  determine  how  many 
probation  officers  were  necessary,  such  officers  to  be  appointed  in  the 
same  manner  and  under  the  same  rules  and  regulations  as  other  offi- 
cers of  the  county  and  paid  under  authorization  of  the  board  of 
county  commissioners. 

The  legal  status  of  the  probation  staff,  however,  was  not  even  then 
determined.  The  amendment  of  1905  had  placed  payment  in  the 
hands  of  the  board  of  county  commissioners,  and  appointment  "  in 
the  same  manner  as  other  county  officers"  was  understood  to  mean 
certification  by  the  county  civil  service  commission.  For  six  years 
the  law  was  interpreted  in  this  manner,  and  the  number  of  proba- 
tion officers  paid  by  the  county  was  increased  from  23  in  1905  to 
37  in  1911.  In  that  year  a  newly  elected  county  administration  at- 
tempted to  bring  political  pressure  to  bear  upon  the  probation  staff. 
A  campaign  of  abuse  was  waged  in  the  public  press — attention  was 
called  to  cases  which,  it  was  claimed,  had  resulted  disastrously; 
probation  officers  were  pictured  as  "child  snat'chers;"  and  the  work 
of  the  juvenile  court  was  rendered  extremely  difficult.  The  county 
civil  service  commission  joined  in  the  attack  through  a  pretended 

27  Among  the  early  officei's-  of  this  committee  were  Mrs.  Joseph  T.  Bowen,  the  Very 
Rev.  Dean  Summer,  Father  Andrew  Spetz,  Dr.  Rabbi  Joseph  Stoltz,  Mrs.  Charles  M. 
Walker,  Mrs.  George  R.  Dean,  and  Mrs.  Wm.  Thomas.  In  1909  the  name  was  changed 
to  the  Juvenile  Protective  Association  of  Chicago.  The  association  continued  its 
financial  assistance  to  the  court  until  1908.  Since  that  time  it  has  beea  concerned 
exclusively  with  community  problems  affecting  delinquency. 

2S  Testimony  of  Judge  Pinckney  in  Breckinridge  and  Abbott :  The  Delinquent  Child 
and  the  Home,  Charities  Publication  Committee,  New  York,  1912,  p.  240. 

29  The  number  was  at  first  about  20  and  was  increased  to  30  in  1908.  See  Charity 
Service  Reports,  Cook  County,  111.,  1903-1911. 

so  Laws  of  Illinois  1905,  p.  151. 


ORIGIISr   AND  DEVELOPMENT  OF    THE    COURT.  7 

investigation  of  the  court.  These  attacks  failed  to  command  public 
confidence,  however,  and  finally  the  board  of  commissioners  of 
Cook  County  was  prevailed  upon  to  appoint  a  committee  of  five 
citizens  to  make  an  impartial  investigation.^^  On  September  28, 
1911,  before  the  report  of  the  committee  had  been  completed,  how- 
ever, the  president  of  the  county  board  of  commissioners  suspended 
the  chief  probation  officer  and  filed  with  the  county  civil  service  com- 
mission charges  against  him,  alleging  "  incompetency,  lack  of  execu- 
tive ability,  and  neglect  of  duty."  The  hearing  on  these  charges 
extended  over  a  period  of  three  months  and  included  an  investiga- 
tion of  the  work  of  the  probation  department,  of  the  detention  home, 
and  of  the  industrial  schools  to  which  dependent  children  were  com- 
mitted by  the  court.  On  January  6,  1912,  the  civil  service  com- 
mission decided  adversely  to  the  chief  probation  officer  and  dis- 
missed him.  He  appealed  the  case,  with  the  result  that  that  por- 
tion of  the  act  providing  for  the  selection  of  probation  officers  by  the 
county  commissioners  was  held  unconstitutionaP-  as  a  violation  of 
the  principle  of  separation  of  powers  laid  down  in  Article~rri  of 
iKe  Illinois  constitution.  The  right  of  the  court  to  be  free  from 
interference  in  the  selection  of  its  officers  was  thus  recognized. 
Probation  officers  were  declared  to  be  assistants  to  the  court,  per- 
forming judicial  functions,  and  as  such  to  be  chosen  only  by  popular 
vote  or  appointed  by  the  court  itself.^'*  The  selection  of  probation 
officers  was  thus  left  in  the  hands  of  the  judges  of  the  circuit  court; 
they  agreed  to  delegate  that  selection  to  the  judge  of  the  juvenile 
court,  who  had  suffered  greatly  from  the  political  attack  on  the 
work  of  the  court.  He  devised  at  this  time  a  substitute  for  the 
civil  service  test  that  has  worked  admirably  and  is  still  in  use. 
Since  that  time  probation  officers  have  been  appointed  by  the  judge 
on  the  basis  of  competitive  examinations,  held  from  time  to  time 
under  the  direction  of  a  committee  of  citizens^^  chosen  by  the  judge 
because  of  their  unquestioned  special  fitness  for  the  task  and  their 
public  spirit.  Since  1912  five  such  examinations  have  been  held, 
two  for  chief  probation  officer,  one  in  1913  and  another  in  1918,  and 
three  for  assistant  probation  officer,  in  1913,  1916,  and  1919.33«    This 

'•The  members  of  this  committee  were  Willard  E.  Hotclikis?  (chairman^,  Saul 
DriickiM-,  Rev.  C.  J.  Quille,  Rev.  August  Schlechte,  and  Mrs.  James  E.  Quan.  The  coni- 
mittee  reported  in  January,  1012.  The  report  is  entitled  "  The  Juvenile  Court  of 
Cook  County.  111.  Report  of  a  Committee  Appointed  under  Resolution  of  the  Board  of 
Commissioners  of  Cook  County,  Aug.  8,   1912." 

'2  Witter  r.  Cook  County  Commissioners,  2."6  Illinois,  616.  See  also  People  r.  C,  B.  & 
Q.  R.  R.  Co.,  273  Illinois,  110.  The  report  of  the  citizens'  committee  shortly  after  showed 
no  grounds  for  this  decision  of  the  civil  service  commission. 

•■'="  This  decision  did  not  affect  the  position  of  clerical  assistants,  who  arc  still  appointed 
under  civil  service  regulations. 

'3  The  first  committee  was  composed  of  members  of  the  Juvenile  Court  Committee  that 
had  chosen  and  paid  probation  oflBcers  before  the  amendment  of  1005. 

8*»  A  fourth  examination  for  assistant  probation'  officer  was  given  in  1922. 


8  THE   CHICAGO    JUVENILE    COUET. 

device  has  served  to  protect  the  judge  from  political  pressure  and 
to  maintain  the  quality  of  the  probation  service. 

Again,  in  1917,  the  status  of  the  probation  officers  was  attacked 
through  a  bill  to  enjoin  the  county  treasurer  from  paying  the  salaries 
of  any  of  the  probation  staff.  The  bill  was  dismissed  for  want  of 
equity  by  the  superior  court  of  Cook  County,  but  appeal  was  allowed 
to  the  appellate  court  of  Illinois,  and  for  more  than  a  year,  pending 
decision,  the  payment  of  salaries  by  the  county  treasurer  was  made 
possible  only  by  the  guaranty  of  funds  by  private  citizens  and  by  a 
special  act  of  the  legislature.^^  Finally,  on  June  14,  1918,  the  appel- 
late court  of  Illinois  ^^  confirmed  the  decision  of  the  lower  court,  and 
the  status  of  probation  officers  was  once  more  assured.^^ 

The  constitutionality  of  the  juvenile  court  law  itself  was  attacked 
in  1912  by  an  appeaP^  from  a  judgment  of  the  Cook  County  court 
declaring  a  child  to  be  dependent  and  appointing  a  guardian  under 
the  act.  The  supreme  court,  though  it  reversed  the  decision  of  the 
court  in  the  particular  case,  upheld  the  law  at  every  point  at  which 
it  was  attacked.'^^ 

The  law  of  1899  had  contained  no  provision  for  the  detention  of 
children  except  one  prohibiting  commitment  of  children  under  12  to 
a  jail  or  police  station  and  giving  authority  to  place  a  child  awaiting 
trial  in  "  some  suitable  place  provided  by  the  city  or  county."  ^® 
Since  neither  the  city  nor  the  county  had  at  first  a  suitable  place,  the 
task  of  providing  one,  like  that  of  paying  probation  officers,  was 
undertaken  by  private  initiative.  The  Illinois  Industrial  Association 
assumed  the  care  of  boys  awaiting  hearing  on  delinquent  petitions, 
the  city  and  the  county  each  paying  half  the  board  of  the  children.*" 
Dependent  children  were  detained,  when  necessary,  in  a  room  of  the 
Cook  County  Detention  Hospital.  In  1903  the  Juvenile  Court  Com- 
mittee took  over  the  care  of  all  children  and  established  a  detention 
home  at  625  West  Adams  Street.  The  expenses  were  paid  in  part  by 
this  committee,  but  the  larger  share  was  borne  by  the  city  and  the 
county.*" 

The  establishment  consisted  of  an  old  residence  in  which  dependent 
children  were  housed  and  a  remodeled  barn  for  delinquent  boys. 
The  delinquent  girls  were  detained  in  an  annex  to  one  of  the  police 
stations,  where  older  women  were  also  confined.  At  first  the  deten- 
tion home  was  placed  under  the  care  of  a  police  officer,  and  little 

"^Laws  of  Illinois  1917,  p.  536.  This  law  safeguards  a  public  officer  from  personal 
liability  for  the  disbursement  of  funds  in  emergencies  of  this  kind. 

=5  Gilbert  et  al.  v.  Sweitzer,  211  Illinois  App.  438. 

^  See  p.  30  of  this  report  for  discussion  of  salaries  of  probation  officers. 

3'  By  a  writ  of  error,   Flurd's  Illinois  Revised  Statutes  1910,   ch.   23,,  sec.   190d. 
y    s8  Lindsay  v.  Lindsay,  257  111.  328. 

39La^g  of  Illinois  1899,  p.  131,  sees.  5  and  11. 

^"  Lathrop,  Julia  C.  :  "  Development  of  the  probation  system,"  in  Charities,  Vol.  XIII, 
p.  346  (Jan.  7,  1905). 


ORIGIN   AND  DEVELOPMENT  OF    THE    COURT.  9 

amusement  and  no  schooling  were  provided.  In  1906,  however  the 
city  board  of  education  assigned  a  teacher  for  the  instruction  of  de- 
linquent boys.*^ 

In  1907  a  law  was  passed  ^^^  authorizing  the  establishment  of  a 
detention  home  by  county  authorities  on  vote  of  the  people  of  the 
county;  but  without  awaiting  a  popular  vote,  the  county  and  the 
city  entered  into  a  cooperative  undertaking  to  erect  a  juvenile  court 
building  on  Ewing  Street,  accommodating  both  the  detention  home 
and  the  juvenile  court  rooms.*^  This  building  is  still  occupied  as  a 
detention  home,  but  in  1913  its  crowded  condition  led  to  the  removal 
of  the  court  to  the  county  building,  where  other  courts  are  held.** 

A  third  important  development  in  the  Chicago  juvenile  court  re- 
sulted from  the  enactment  of  the  funds  to  parents  and  aid  to  mothers 
laws,*5  which  added  to  the  earlier  work  of  the  court  a  class  of  cases 
involving  principles  of  public  relief  and  requiring  a  complicated 
administrative  machinery.  The  first  of  these  acts,  the  funds  to  par- 
ents act,*^  was  a  brief  amendment  to  the  juvenile  court  law  authoriz- 
ing in  certain  dependent  cases  the  granting  of  relief  by  the  court. 
That  amendment  read  as  follows : 

If  the  parent  or  parents  of  such  dependent  or  neglected  child  are  poor  and 
unable  to  properly  care  for  the  said  child,  but  are  otherwise  proper  guardians 
and  it  is  for  the  welfare  of  such  child  to  remain  at  home,  the  court  may  enter  an 
order  finding  such  facts  and  fixing  the  amount  of  money  necessary  to  enable 
the  parent  or  parents  to  properly  care  for  such  child,  and  thereupon  it  shall 
be  the  duty  of  the  county  board,  through  its  county  agent  or  otherwise,  to  pay  to 
such  parent  or  parents,  at  such  times  as  said  order  may  designate,  the  amount 
so  specified  for  the  care  of  such  dependent  or  neglected  child  until  the  further 
order   of   the   court.'" 

In  1913  a  more  elaborately  drawn  aid  to  mothers  law  superseded 
the  amendment  of  1911.  This  law  not  only  defined  the  group  of 
eligible  families  to  whom  grants  might  be  made  and  fixed  conditions 
under  which  those  grants  might  be  enjoyed  but  also  provided  for  a 
special  tax  to  be  set  aside  as  a  special  fund  for  mothers'  pensions.*^ 

*i  Thurston,  H.  W. :  "  Ten  years  of  the  juvenile  court  of  Chicago,"  in  The  Surrey  Vol 
XXIII,  pp.  656,  662,  and  663   (Feb.  5,  1910). 

*2Laws  of  Illinois  1907,  p.  59.     Kurd's  Illinois  Revised  Statutes  1919,  ch.  23,  sec    271 

*''  First  Annual  Message  of  William  Busse,  president  of  the  board  of  commissioners  of 
Cook  County,  in  Charity  Service  Reports,  Cook  County,  111.,  1907,  p.  29. 

"The  building  at  202  Ewing  Street  (now  771  Gilpin  Place)  has  now  become  in- 
adequate for  the  detention  home  and  is  soon  to  be  replaced.     See  p.  53. 

■^Hurd's  Illinois  Revised  Statutes  1919.  ch.  23,  sec.  298 

^«Laws  of  Illinois  1911,  p.  126.  See  also  Kurd's  Revised  Statutes  1919  ch  "3  sec 
175.  ■       •        ,         . 

«JLaws  of  Illinois  1911,  p.  126.  Kurd's  Illinois  Revised  Statutes  1919,  ch.  23,  sec. 
17o.  The  administration  of  the  mothers'  pension  law  has  been  quite  fully  discussed 
See  Abbott,  Edith,  and  Breckinridge,  S.  P.  :  The  Administration  of  the  Aid-to-Mother^  Law 
in  Illinois.     Children's  Bureau  Publication  No.  82,  Washington,  1921. 

« Three-tenths  of  1  mill  on  the  dollar  to  be  levied  on  all  taxable  propertv  of  the 
county.  Laws  of  Illinois,  1913,  p.  127;  Kurd's  Illinois  Revised  Statutes,  1919,  ch.  23, 
sec.  298  fol.  The  1911  act  had  proved  inadequate  in  many  respects  other  than  the 
nnancial  provisions. 

88005°— 22 2 


10  THE   CHICAGO   JUVENILE   COURT. 

The  courtsi  held  in  1915,  however,  that  this  act  did  not  increase  the 
total  amount  of  the  county  taxes  the  county  was  authorized  to  spend 
but  merely  reduced  the  amount  available  for  other  county  expendi- 
tures.*^ The  county  board  therefore  appropriated  annually  for 
mothers'  pensions  less  than  the  actual  amount  of  the  special  tax  fund. 
In  June,  1919,  however,  the  law  was  amended  so  as  to  authorize  an 
increase  in  the  total  volume  of  county  expenditures  and  to  provide 
an  adequate  fund  that  should  be  available  exclusively  for  mothers' 
pensions.^" 

Various  aspects  of  the  practice  of  the  court,  chiefly  those  of  an 
administrative  nature,  will  be  discussed  in  the  following  chapters. 
It  has  perhaps  been  made  clear  that  at  no  time  during  the  court's 
existence  have  the  conditions  under  which  it  functioned  been  en- 
tirely satisfactory.  It  has  suffered  from  open  political  attack,  from 
legislative  caution  and  legislative  blundering,  from  the  hostility  of 
other  administrative  bodies,  and  from  public  indifference.  These 
difficulties  should  be  kept  in  mind  throughout  the  following  dis- 


cussion. 


«>.People  V.  Chicago,  Lake  Shore  &  Eastern  R.  R.  Co.,  270  111.  477. 

BO  The  law  was  amended  June  21,  1919,  to  provide  for  a  tax  of  four-tenths  of  1  mill 
on  the  dollar  in  counties  of  over  3O0,.0O0  population  and  was.  further  amended  nine 
days  later-  to  provide  for  a  tax  of  four-fifteenths  of  1  mill  to  correspond  with  a  change 
in  the  assessed  valuation  from  one-Uiird  to  one-half  the  cash  value  of  the  property.  (See 
Daws  of  Illinois  1919,  pp.  780-781,  and  pp.  781-782,  and  Kurd's  Illinois  Revised 
Statutes,  1919,  ch.  23,  sec.  313.) 


THE  JURISDICTION  OF  THE  COURT. 

CHARACTER  OF  THE  COURT  AND  AREA  COVERED. 

The  juvenile  court  law  of  Illinois  created  no  new  or  special  courts, 
but  in  all  portions  of  the  State  except  Cook  Count}^  conferred  jurisdic- 
tion in  cases  arisin";  under  the  law  upon  circuit  and  county  courts.  In 
Cook  County,  which  constitutes  an  entire  and  single  judicial  circuit, 
original  and  exclusive  jurisdiction  w^as  conferred  upon  the  circuit 
court  alone.^  The  juvenile  court  sitting  in  Chicago  is  thus  technically 
the  juvenile  court  of  Cook  County,  and  is  a  division  or  branch  of  the 
circuit  court  of  the  county.  As  such  its  territorial  jurisdiction  covers 
besides  the  city  of  Chicago  a  considerable  outlying  territory  that  is 
both  suburban  and  rural  in  character.  In  this  outlying  district  are 
5  incorporated  cities  from  2,000  to  nearly  25,000  in  population,  and 
about  70  villages  of  from  a  few  hundred  to  19,000  population.-  The 
suburban  district  covers  an  area  of  about  733  square  miles  and  con- 
tained in  1910  a  population,  urban  and  rural,  of  219,950.-  From  the 
point  of  view  of  administration  such  territorial  jurisdiction  presents 
many  difficult  problems.^ 

CLASSES   OF   CASES. 

The  jurisdiction  exercised  by  the  juvenile  court  includes  three 
classes  of  cases.  The  first  is  composed  of  those  over  which  the  juris- 
diction is  original  and  exclusive  under  the  juvenile  court  law.  These 
are  cases  of  delinquent  children,  dependent  or  neglected  children,  and 
mothers'  pension  cases. 

A  delinquent  child,  as  defined  by  the  statute.*  is  a  boy  under  17  or  a 
girl  under  18  Avho  violates  any  law  of  the  State :  is  incorrigible,  know- 
ingly associates  with  thieves,  vicious  or  immoral  persons;  without 
just  cause  and  without  the  consent  of  its  parents,  guardian,  or  cus- 
todian absents  itself  from  its  home  or  place  of  abode,  is  growing  up  in 
idleness  or  crime ;  knowingly  frequents  a  house  of  ill  repute ;  know- 
ingly frequents  any  public  shop  or  place  where  any  gaming  device  is 
operated;   frequents  any  saloon  or  dram  shop  where  intoxicating 

1  Kurd's  niinois  Revised  Statutes  1019,  ch.  23,  sec.  171. 

=  Thirteenth  Census  of  the  United  States,  1910.  Vol.  II,  Population,  p.  445, 
^  See  p.  32  of  this  report  for  organization  of  work  in  outlying  districts, 
*Hurd's  Illinois  Revised  Statutes,  1919,  ch.  23,  sees.  170,  298. 

11 


12  THE    CHICAGO    JUVENILE    COUET. 

liquors  are  sold ;  patronizes  or  visits  any  public  pool  room  or  bucket 
shop ;  wanders  about  the  streets  at  nif^ht ;  habitually  wanders  about 
railroad  yards  or  tracks  or  jumps  on  any  moving  train,  or  enters  any 
car  or  engine  without  authority ;  uses  vile,  obscene,  vulgar,  profane, 
or  indecent  language,  or  is  guilty  of  indecent  or  lascivious  conduct. 

A  dependent  or  neglected  chikP  is  a  boy  under  17  or  a  girl  under 
18  who,  for  any  reason,  is  destitute,  homeless,  abandoned,  or  depend- 
ent upon  the  public  for  support;  has  not  proper  parental  care  or 
guardianship,  habitually  begs  or  receives  alms ;  is  found  living  in  any 
house  of  ill  fame  or  with  any  vicious  or  disreputable  person ;  or  has 
a  home  which  by  reason  of  neglect,  cruelty,  or  depravity  on  the  part 
of  the  parents,  guardian,  or  any  other  person  in  whose  care  it  may  be, 
is  an  unfit  place  for  such  child ;  and  any  child  under  10  who  is  found 
begging,  peddling,  or  selling  any  articles  or  singing  or  playing  any 
musical  instrument  for  gain  upon  the  street,  or  giving  public  enter- 
tainments or  accompanying  any  person  so  doing. 

In  these  cases  and  in  aid  to  mothers  cases  as  well,*'  the  jurisdiction  is 
technically  exercised  over  the  child.  Actually,  however,  the  entire 
family  is  brought  under  supervision. 

The  second  class  of  cases  is  that  in  which  the  juvenile  court  exercises 
jurisdiction  as  a  branch  of  the  circuit  court.  The  jurisdiction  is  there- 
fore not  exclusive-  These  are  cases  of  truants  under  the  parental 
schools  act,  feeble-minded  children,  children  given  in  adoption,  and 
illegitimate  children. 

Under  the  parental  schools  act,^  providing  for  commitment  of  ha- 
bitual truants  to  such  schools,  jurisdiction  is  conferred  upon  the  county 
and  circuit  court's  of  the  State.  In  Cook  County,  under  an  agreement 
of  tlie  circuit  judges  with  the  county  judge,  this  jurisdiction  is  exer- 
cised by  the  juvenile  court  alone.  Truant  officers  are,  however,  ap- 
pointed by  the  board  of  education  and  subject  to  that  authority,  and 
the  only  real  contact  of  the  juvenile  court  with  the  truant  child  is  the 
hearing  in  court. 

Jurisdiction  under  the  adoption  law  ^  may  likewise  be  exercised  by 
the  county  or  circuit  courts  of  the  State.  All  such  cases  filed  in  the 
circuit  court  of  Cook  County  are,  by  agreement,  heard  by  the  judge  of 
the  juvenile  court.  With  the  exception  of  the  judge,  then,  no  officers 
of  the  juvenile  court  have  any  legal  authority  over  cases  involving 
only  adoption.  In  the  case  of  a  delinquent  or  dependent  child,  how- 
ever, a  petition  may  be  filed  under  the  juvenile  court  law  praying  the 
appointment  of  a  guardian  authorized  to  consent  to  legal  adoption, 

s  Kurd's  Illinois  Rpvised  Statutes  1919,  ch.  23,  ssec.  169.  The  1899  law  defined  as 
delinquent  only  one  who  violated  a  law  of  the  State  or  a  local  ordinance.  The  amend- 
ment of  1905,  p.  152,  included  the  present  definition. 

6  Kurd's  Illinois  Revised  Statutes,  1919,  ch.  23,  sec.  298. 

'  Ibid.,  eh.  122,  sec.  144. 

*  Ibid.,  ch.  4,  sec.  1.     The  county  judge  has  entered  into  no  agreement  on  this  subject. 


THE    JURISDICTIOISr   OF   THE    COURT.  13 

and  the  court  in  which  adoption  proceedings  are  pending  may  accept 
the  consent  of  the  guardian  appointed  without  further  notice  to  par- 
ents or  relatives.''  This  amounts  to  the  juvenile  court's  hearing  all  the 
evidence  in  the  case,  the  court  before  which  the  case  is  pending  enter- 
ing the  formal  decree.  Investigations  are  conducted  by  probation 
officers,  but  adoption  proceedings  are  not  included  in  the  legal  records 
of  the  juvenile  court. 

The  act  to  provide  for  the  care  and  detention  of  feeble-minded  per- 
sons places  jurisdiction  in  the  circuit,  county,  and  municipal  courts  of 
the  State.^°  When,  therefore,  a  delinquent  or  dependent  child 
brought  before  the  juvenile  court  appears  to  be  feeble-minded,  the 
judge  may  adjourn  the  proceedings  under  the  juvenile  court  law  and 
conduct  the  hearing  on  a  petition  under  the  act  for  the  care  and  de- 
tention of  feeble-minded  persons."  This  means  that  the  juvenile 
court  has  jurisdiction  over  feeble-minded  children  only  incidental  to 
their  being  brought  into  court  as  dependent  or  delinquent  children. 
For  the  sake  of  securing  prompt  action,  the  investigation  depart- 
ment brings  into  court  on  a  "  feeble-minded  "  petition  children  called 
to  their  attention  whom  they  think  not  only  dependent  or  delinquent 
but  feeble-minded  as  well,  and  children  in  a  situation  involving  de- 
pendency are  brought  by  the  same  process  by  social  agencies  before 
the  court.  No  agreement  has  been  made  by  the  circuit,  county,  and 
municipal  courts  to  concentrate  these  cases  in  the  court  of  the  juvenile 
court  judge,  and  cases  of  feeble-minded  children  who  are  not  de- 
pendent or  delinquent  are  heard  by  other  courts. 

A  recent  amendment  to  the  bastardy  law  provides  that  the  juvenile 
court  shall  "  with  other  courts  of  competent  jurisdiction  "  have  juris- 
diction over  all  cases  arising  under  the  act.^^  The  State's  attorney 
has,  however,  refused  to  prosecute  such  cases  before  the  juvenile  court, 
and  the  court  has  not  then  exercised  jurisdiction  over  this  class  of 
cases.^^  Bastardy  cases  are  tried  before  the  domestic-relations  branch 
of  the  municipal  court  under  authority  of  the  law  which  created  that 
court. ^*  Juvenile  court  officers,  however,  investigate  and  present  in 
the  court  of  domestic  relations  bastardy  cases  in  which  the  mother  is 
under  IS  years  of  age  or  in  which  the  court  has  already  obtained 

"  Ilurd's  Illinois  Revis^ed  Statutes,  1919,  ch.  23,  sec.  183. 

"•  Ibid.,   ch.   23,  sec.   324. 

"  Ibid.,  sec.   341. 

^The  amendment  was  passed  in  1919.  Huvd's  Illinois  Revised.  Statutes  1919,  ch.  17, 
sec.  4. 

13  Since  the  election  of  June  G.  1921.  this  opposition  seems  no  longer  an  obstacle.  The 
judge  has  up  to  the  present  writing  (Dec.  1,  1921)  talcen  no  action  to  claim  this  juris- 
diction, possibly  arguing  that  unless  additional  resources  are  placed  at  the  si-rvice  of  the 
court,  the  additional  burden  would  be  too  heavy. 

1*  Kurd's  Illinois  Revised  Statutes  1919,  ch.  37,  sec.  265.  "  All  suits  of  every  kind 
and  nature,  whether  civil  or  criminal,  or  whether  at  law  or  in  equity,  which  may  be 
transfened  to  it,  by  a  change  of  venue  or  otherwise  by  the  circuit  court  of  Cook 
County,  the  superior  court  of  Cook  County  or  the  criminal  court  of  Cook  County."  But 
see  Hosking  v.  So.  Pac.  Co.  243  111.,  320,  and  I',  r.  Olson,  245  111.,  288. 


14  THE   CHICAGO   JUVENILE   COUET. 

jurisdiction  over  the  family  through  other  elements  of  dependency 
or  delinquency. 

JURISDICTION    OVER    CHILDREN   ACCUSED    OF   COMMITTING 
SERIOUS   OFFENSES. 

Under  a  provision  of  the  juvenile  court  law  defining  a  delinquent 
child  as  a  boy  under  17  or  a  girl  under  18  who  "  violates  any  law 
of  this  State,"  ^^  the  juvenile  court  is  apparently  given  jurisdiction 
in  all  cases  of  children  within  those  ages,  however  serious  the  offense 
with  which  the  child  may  be  charged.  The  law  provides,  moreover, 
that  if  a  child  is  taken  before  a  justice  of  the  peace  or  police  magis- 
trate, "it  shall  be  the  duty"  of  such  justice  or  magistrate  to  trans- 
fer the  case  to  the  juvenile  court.^*'  This  jurisdiction  has,  however, 
never  been  acknowledged  by  the  prosecuting  authorities,  and  a  con- 
current jurisdiction  is  exercised  by  the  criminal  court  of  Cook 
[County  in  the  trial  of  children  charged  with  serious  offenses.  The 
chief  probation  officer,  in  his  annual  report  for  1920,  made  the  fol- 
lowing statement :  ^^ 

During  the  past  year  there  have  been  a  number  of  cases  in  which,  follow- 
ing the  filing  of  a  petition  in  the  juvenile  court  and  while  the  case  was  still 
pending,  an  indictment  has  been  voted  by  the  grand  jury,  followed  by  a  hear- 
ing in  the  criminal  court.  The  interesting  thing  is  that  after  weeks  and  months 
of  delay,  during  which  time  the  child  was  held  in  the  county  jail,  the  criminal 
court  has  in  each  of  the  cases  either  referred  the  case  to  the  juvenile  court 
for  disposition  or  has  entered  an  order  placing  the  child  under  probation  to 
the  adult  probation  department.  The  probation  orders  could  have  been  ar- 
rived at  with  quite  as  much  force  and  by  a  much  simpler  process  under  the 
juvenile-court  law. 

The  attitude  of  State's  attorneys  in  the  past  has  usually  been  that  juvenile- 
court  action  in  cases  in  which  crimes  were  committed  has  been  only  through 
the  suffrance  of  the  State's  attorney ;  that  in  any  cases  which  he  chooses  to 
characterize  as  "  serious,"  he  might  take  action  in  the  criminal  court.  This 
situation  is  one  which  it  is  hoped  may  be  settled  at  an  early  date  by  a  ruling 
of  the  criminal  court  or  by  a  supreme-court  decision. 

In  the  case  of  a  16-year-old  boy,  for  example,  who,  early  in  1921, 
was  charged  with  the  theft  from  a  bank  of  $700,000  worth  of  bonds, 
a  petition  was  filed  in  the  juvenile  court.  The  State's  attorney, 
however,  is  reported  to  have  said  in  answer  to  a  proposal  that  the 
case  be  heard  in  the  juvenile  court,  "  This  is  a  criminal  case,  and  the 
boy  will  be  tried  in  the  criminal  court,  regardless  of  his  age.  And 
I  believe  in  speedy  trials,  too."  ^''"  The  grand  jury  was  therefore 
directed  to  take  up  the  case,  and  two  indictments  were  voted,  one 
charging  embezzlement,  and  the  other  larceny.     The  result  of  the 

»«  Kurd's  Illinois  Revised  Statutes  1919,  ch.  23,  sea  169. 
"■  Ibid.,   sec.   178. 

"  Charity  Service  Reports,  Cook  County,  111.,.  1920,  p.  243. 
""  Chicago  Daily  Tribune,  Feb.  20,  1921. 


THE   JURISDICTION    OF   THE   COURT.  15 

trial  in  the  criminal  court  was  a  failure  of  the  jury  to  agree,  and  a 
motion  was  granted  for  a  new  trial.^^"  The  judge  made  no  claim  to 
exclusive  jurisdiction  either  in  this  or  in  other  cases  to  which  the 
chief  probation  officer  refers.  This  inactivity  on  the  part  of  the 
judge  is  due  undoubtedly  to  a  doubt  on  his  part  as  to  the  interpreta- 
tion the  supreme  court  would  put  upon  the  law  should  the  issue  be 
squarely  raised  and  to  a  hesitation  to  sacrifice  a  young  person  to  the 
confusing  and  demoralizing  experience  of  being  handled  by  two  sets 
of  authorities.  His  view  of  what  the  law  should  clearly  state  is 
expressed  in  a  report  made  by  a  committee  appointed  in  1920  by 
the  director  of  the  department  of  public  welfare  and  signed  by 
the  judge  with  other  members  of  the  committee  ^^  to  the  effect  that 
"  the  circuit,  county,  and  juvenile  courts  be  given  original  and 
exclusive  jurisdiction  in  all  cases  coming  within  the  act  entitled  'An 
act  to  regulate  the  treatment  and  control  of  dependent,  neglected,  and 
delinquent  children.'  " 

AGE  GROUPS. 

The  juvenile  court  law  provides  that  all  persons  under  the  age  of 
21  shall  be  considered  wards  of  the  State  and  shall  be  subject  to  the 
care,  guardianship,  and  control  of  the  juvenile  court.^^  The  law 
then  proceeds  in  its  definition  of  the  dependent  and  delinquent  child 
to  include  any  boy  under  IT  and  any  girl  under  18.  Thus  jurisdiction 
attaches  only  to  the  earlier  ages,  but  once  obtained  may  be  exercised 
until  the  child  becomes  21.^° 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  it  is  not  the  policy  of  the  court  to  exercise  this 
jurisdiction?  in  the  cases  of  boys  between  17  and  21.  That  is,  when- 
ever a  boy  of  17  or  18  already  on  probation  commits  a  new  offense, 
it  is  the  policy  of  the  court  to  allow  him  to  be  proceeded  against  in 
the  criminal  court  ^^  rather  than  to  attempt  again  to  deal  with  him. 
The  officers  of  the  court  are  of  the  opinion  that  if  probation  under 
juA^enile-court  officers  has  not  been  effective  when  the  boy  was 
younger,  it  is  not  likely  to  be  effective  as  the  boy  grows  older. 

17a  Tj,p  second  trial  came  to  an  end  May  19.  1922,  with  a  second  failure  of  a  jury  to 
agree.     Chicago  Daily  Tribune,  May  20,  1922. 

•8  Report  of  the  Illinois  Department  of  Public  Welfare  Children's  Committee  (Decemlx^r, 
1920,  p.  10.) 

^  Hurd'.^  Illinois  Revised  Statutes  1919,  ch.  2Z,  sec.  169. 

=''The  Hotchkis.s  committee  in  1912  apparently  supported  thia  interpretation  and  urged 
that  the  age  of  obtaining  jurisdiction  be  raised  to  21  :  "  The  committee  feels  that  the 
provisions  of  the  juvenile-court  law  should  be  amended  so  that  any  person  under  the  age 
of  21  years,  regardless  of  previous  contact  with  the  court,  may  be  brought  into  the 
juvenile,  rather  than  the  police  court.  At  pre.'^ent  we  have  the  anomalous  situation  of 
a  boy  of  19,  who  has  never  been  brought  before  the  juvenile  court,  arrested  and  forced  to 
associate  in  the  police  court  with  the  worst  criminal.^i  in  the  community,  while  a  boy 
with  a  long  record  in  the  juvenile  court,  evades  police  jurisdiction  by  virtue  of  this 
court  record.  In  other  words  a  premium  is  placed  on  getting  a  juvenile  court  record." — 
(.Juvenile  Court  of  Cook  County.  Illinois — Reiwrt  of  a  Committee  appointed  under  Resolu- 
tion of  the  Board  of  Commissloner.s  of  Cook  County,  p.  2o.) 

2»  This  may  be  the  boys'  court — a  branch  of  the  municipal  court — a  lower  court  deal- 
ing with  misdemeanants  if  the  offense  be  committed  outside  Chicago,  or  the  criminal 
court  of  Cook  County. 


16  THE   CHICAGO   JUVENILE   COURT. 

JURISDICTION  OVER  ADULTS. 

The  juvenile  court  has  no  jurisdiction  over  adults  except  in  so  far 
as  an  order  may  be  entered  requiring  a  parent  to  contribute  to  the 
support  of  a  dependent  child  committed  to  an  institution.  In  such 
cases  the  court  may  enforce  its  order  by  requiring  deductions  from 
wages  and  by  punishment  for  contempt  of  court.  This  lack  of  juris- 
diction over  adults  will  be  discussed  at  a  later  point.^- 

2=  See  p.   103. 


THE  ADMINISTRATIVE  PROBLEMS  OF  THE  COURT. 

In  order  that  the  administrative  problems  of  the  juvenile  court 
may  be  understood  it  is  necessary  to  supplement  the  definitions  of 
the  various  types  of  cases  placed  under  its  jurisdiction  and  to  know 
the  number  of  children  brought  into  court,  the  relative  numbers  in 
the  various  groups,  the  conditions  in  the  home  and  in  the  community 
making  it  necessary  for  them  to  be  brought  into  court,  and  the  differ- 
ences among  the  various  groups  that  demand  differences  in  the  method 
and  treatment.  It  is  difficult,  for  various  reasons,  to  discover  these 
facts,  but  certain  data  have  been  assembled  for  the  purpose  of  illus- 
tra-t'ing  the  nature  of  the  court's  problems  and  the  weight  of  its  burden. 

NUMBER   OF   CHILDREN   BROUGHT    INTO    COURT. 

During  the  first  21  years  of  the  court's  existence — that  is,  prior  to 
July  1.  1920 — 79,000  children  were  brought  into  court. ^  It  is  im- 
possible, however,  to  determine  without  laborious  tabulation  the  num- 
ber of  children  who  have  been  handled  by  the  court  in  each  of  these 
years.  The  total  number  during  the  period  is  the  only  information 
that  can  be  given  regarding  children  as  distinguished  from  cases, 
since  the  statistics  published  by  the  court  deal  with  cases  rather  than 
with  children.  A  child  may  be  brought  before  the  judge  several 
times  in  the  same  year  and  may  be  counted  three,  four,  five,  or  pos- 
sibly six  times  as  a  case,  the  number  of  repetitions  varying  consider- 
ably with  the  class  of  case.  Thus,  it  must  be  remembered  that  when- 
ever figures  from  the  annual  reports  of  the  court  are  quoted  in  the 
following  pages  they  represent  cases,  not  children.  From  a  social 
point  of  view  this  is  unfortunate,  since  it  would  be  desirable  to  know 
the  facts  in  their  relationship  to  child  life  in  general.  From  an  ad- 
ministrative viewpoint,  however,  the  case  is  perhaps  more  signifi- 
cant, since  it  represents  a  certain  amount  of  machinery  set  in  motion 
each  time  a  child  is  before  the  court. 

Table  I  shows  the  numerical  importance  of  the  various  types  of 
cases  heard  by  the  court  during  the  five-year  period  from  December 
1,  1914,  to  November  30,  1919. 

^This  figure  was  obtainofl  from  the  docket  mimhers.  It  is  customary  to  ffire  the  same 
number  to  a  child  oven  if  he  is  brought  into  court  aiiain  after  a  release. 

17 


18  THE   CHICAGO   JUVENILE    COUET. 

Table  I. — Class  of  case.;  cases  heard  by  the  juvenile  court,  1915-1919.' 


Class  of  case. 

Cases  heard  by  the 
court. 

, 

Number. 

Per  cent 
distri- 
bution. 

Total'             

37,881 

15, 143 
10, 631 
2,327 
9,470 
310 

40.0 

Truancy 

6.1 

25  0 

Feeble-minded 

0.8 

1  Compiled  from  figures  for  fiscal  years  ending  Nov.  30.  Charity  Service  Reports,  Cook 
County.  III.,  1915-1919.  For  1920  the  figures  are  as  follows  :  Delinquency.  2..550  ;  de- 
pendency, 1,262  ;  truancy,  556  ;  aid  to  mothers,  3,245  ;  feeble-minded,  58.  For  1921  they 
are  :  Delinquency,  2,415  ;  dependency,  1,292  ;  truancy,  648  ;  aid  to  mothers,  1,429  ;  feeble- 
minded,  69. 

As  to  the  problems  especially  characteristic  of  these  separate 
groups,  the  annual  reports  of  the  court  give  little  information  other 
than  the  ages  of  children,  the  disposition  of  cases,  and  the  offenses 
of  delinquent  children. 

No  attempt  will  be  made  here  to  describe  the  children  included  in 
the  groups  of  cases  under  the  acts  covering  aid-to-mothers,  truant, 
and  feeble-minded  jurisdiction.- 

PROBLEMS  RELATING  TO  THE  DELINQUENT  CHILD. 

With  regard  to  the  delinquent  children,  a  study  of  the  delinquent 
wards  of  the  court  during  the  first  10  years  of  the  court's  existence 
found  that  the  problems  of  the  delinquent  child  were  primarily 
problems  of  immigrant  adjustment,  of  poverty,  of  the  broken,  the 
degraded,  and  the  crowded  home,  of  school  and  neighborhood  neg- 
lect, and  only  secondarily  and  to  a  very  slight  extent,  of  the  un- 
manageable child  in  the  midst  of  favorable  circumstances." 

Among  the  cases  of  delinquent  children  by  far  the  greater  num- 
ber are  boys.  Table  II  shows  for  the  five-year  period,  1915-1919, 
11,799  cases  of  delinquent  boys  and  3,344  cases  of  delinquent  girls. 
The  greater  number  of  boys  is  in  part  the  result  of  different  methods 
of  investigation  which  will  be  discussed  at  a  later  point,  and  in  part 
due  to  the  method  of  rejDorting  cases  rather  than  children,  since 
the  boys  tend  to  repeat  oftener  than  girls.  It  is,  also,  a  matter  of 
difference  in  character  of  offense,  as  the  girls  are  seldom  brought  to 

» For  mothers'  pension  cases,  see  Abbott,  Edith,  and  Breckinridge,  S.  P.  :  Administra- 
tion of  the  Aid-to-Mothers  Law  in  Illinois.  Children's  Bureau,  Publication  No.  82,  Wash- 
ington, 1921. 

For  cases  of  truant  children,  6ee  Abbott,  Edith,  and  Breckinridge,  S.  P. :  Truancy  and 
Nonattendance  in  Chicago  Schools.     University  of  Chicago  Press,  Chicago,  1917. 

For  mental  defectives,  sec  Healy,  William  :  The  Individual  Delinquent.  Little,  Brown 
&  Co.,  Boston,  1915  ;  and  Mental  Conflicts  and  Misconduct.  Little,  Brown  &  Co.,  Boston, 
1917. 

s  Breckinridge,  S.  P..  and  Abbott,  Edith  :  The  Delinquent  Child  and  the  Home,  Chapters 
m-X,  Charities  Publication  Committee,  New  York,  1912. 


THE   ADMINISTRATIVE   PROBLEMS   OF   THE    COURT. 


19 


court  for  childish  pranks  or  gang  depredations  but  nearly  always 
for  serious  immorality,  which  necessitates  immediate  and  vigorous 
action. 

While  the  law  names  no  lower  age  limits  for  juvenile-court  juris- 
diction, the  State  schools  for  delinquent  boys  and  girls  can  receive 
no_childjxiXjHider  10  ^ears  of  age.  All  children  under  that  age  are 
therefore  tre:ite(l  as  dependent  rather  than  delinquent,  unless  the 
child's  experience  has  beeii  such~thaT  he  can  not  be  placed  with 
dependent  children.  For  this  reason  Table  II,  which  presents  the 
ages  of  delinquent  children,  shows  only  one  case  of  a  delinquent 
child  under  10  ^^ears  of  age.* 


Table  II. — Age,  by  sex  of  cliihl . 


delinquenci/  cases  heard  bi/  the  juvetvile  court, 
1915-1919." 


Delinquency  cases  heard  by  the  court. 

Age  of  child. 

Number. 

Per  cent  distribu- 
tion. 

Boys. 

Girls. 

Boys. 

Girls. 

Total 

11,799 

3,344 

100.0 

100. 

36 
55 
120 
236 
501 
787 
855 
730 
C21 

(6) 

10 

350 

697 

1,104 

1,517 

2,415 

2,683 

2,973 

c59 

c  1 

3.0 
5.9 
9.3 
12.9 
20.5 
22.7 
25.2 
0.5 
(") 

1.1 

1.7 

19                                                        

3.6 

ii 

7.1 

15.0 

is ::"::;:;:";;:;;:::::::::::::::::;:::::::;:; 

23.5 

16 

25.6 

21.8 

IS                          

0.6 

19 

(6) 

"  Compiled  from  figures  for  fiscal  years  ending  Nov.  30.  Charity  Service  Reports.  Cook 
County,  HI.,  1915-1919.  For  1920  the  figures  are :  Boys,  1,912  ;  girls,  638.  For  1921 
they  are  :  Boys,  1,754  ;  girls,  661. 

"  Less  than  one-tenth  of  1  per  cent. 

•^  Jurisdiction  obtained  at  prior  hearing  before  juvenile-court  age  limit  was  reached. 

A  difference  in  grouping  of  bo^^s'  and  girls'  cases  might  be  expected 
from  the  difference  in  age  limitation  defined  by  the  law — 16  for  boys 
and  17  for  girls.  The  wider  range  exhibited  by  the  girls'  cases  is 
therefore  of  no  significance.  There  is,  however,  more  concentration 
toward  the  upper  age  limit  than  in  the  case  of  the  boys.  Table  II 
shows,  for  example,  that  31.1  per  cent  of  the  boys  were  under  14, 
while  only  13.5  per  cent  of  the  girls  were  so  young.  This  again  is  in 
part  the  result  of  the  differences  in  the  character  of  offense,  as  shown 
bv  Table  III. 


*  It  is  not  possible  to  say  definitely,  but  for  this  child  it  is  probable  that  a  dependent 
petition  was  substituted  at  a  later  date  for  the  delinquent  petition. 


20 


THE   CHICAGO   JUVENILE   COUET. 


TABLE  ui.~Offense,  hi,  sex  of  child;  deUnquenry  cases  heard  by  the  juvenile 
court,  1915-1919.'' 


Delinquency  cases  heard  by  the  court. 

Offense. 

Number. 

Per  cent  distribu- 
tion. 

Boys.         Girls. 

Boys. 

Girls. 

Total 

11,799 

3,344 

100.0 

Stealing 

100.0 

Incorrigibiiity . ....-....!!."".".;." 

8,067 
1,900 
605 
509 
2.34 
484 

397 

1,387 
5 

19 
1,467 

69 

'     68.4 
16.1 
5.1 
4.3 
2.0 
4.1 

11.9 

Malicious  mischief 

41.4 

Assault 

0.1 

Immorality 

0.6 

Miscellanebus  offenses 

43.9 

_1 

2.1 

"  Compiled  from  figures  for  fiscal  years  ending  Nov    30 

County,  111     1915-1919.     For   1920  the  figiares  are     Boys 

they  are:  Boys,  1,754;  girls,  661.  ^  ' 


Charity  Service  Reports,  Cook 
1,912  ;   girls,   638.      For   1921 


The  offense,  as  given  in  this  table,  is  never  stated  in  the  records  as 
a  formal  charge  against  the  child ;  but,  as  pointed  out  in  the  report 
of  the  chief  probation  officer,  "  is  the  conclusion  of  the  statistical 
clerk  after  reading  the  complaint  in  the  history  sheet  for  each 
case."  5  The  results  shown  in  the  table  are  therefore  open  to  ques- 
tion because  of  the  vagueness  of  the  terms,  the  possible  variation  in 
classification,  the  method  of  classifying  when  there  are  two  or  more 
offenses,  and  the  inadequacy  of  the  history  sheet  itself.  Neverthe- 
less, the  general  results  compare  fairly  closely  with  those  presented 
m  "The  Delinquent  Child  and  the  Home," «  in  which  the  classifica- 
tion was  based  on  a  careful  reading  of  the  whole  case  record  and  in 
which  attention  was  given  to  a  child  accused  of  two  or  more  offenses. 
The  differences  in  the  results,  moreover,  may  be  largely  due  to  the 
classification  by  children  in  one  table  and  by  cases  in  the  other. 

Stated  in  general  terms  as  they  are,  the  list  includes  offenses  of 
varying  degrees  of  delinquency.  Under  the  head  of  stealing  have 
been  grouped  all  the  offenses  that  the  court  has  separated  into  lar- 
ceny, burglary,  and  robbery,  as  well  as  particular  kinds  of  theft, 
such  as  the  taking  of  automobiles  or  mail  or  stealing  from  railroad 
cars.  Burglary,  larceny,  and  robbery,  however,  may  be  used  to  de- 
scribe a  great  many  offenses  connected  with  the  taking  of  property, 
from  the  theft  of  a  newspaper  at  the  door  to  taking  merchandise 
worth  several  hundred  dollars  from  a  store.  This  group  of  offenses 
against  property  is  the  most  important  class  of  offenses  among  the 
boys  and  contains  68.4  per  cent  of  the  cases. 

The  list  of  the  girls'  offenses  presents  a  marked  contrast  to  that  of 
the  boys :  Nearly  44  per  cent  of  the  girls  were  brought  into  court  for 

"Charity  Service  Reports,  Cook  County,  111.,   1919,  p.  263. 

"Breckinridge,  S.  P.,  and  Abbott,  Edith:  The  Delinquent' Child  and  the  Home,  p.  39, 
Charities  Publications  Committee,  New  York,  1912  (see  special  discussion  pp.  27-30) 


THE   ADMINISTRATIVE   PROBLEMS    OF   THE    COURT, 


21 


"  immorality,"  meaning  always  questions  of  sex  experience.  An- 
other 41.4  per  cent  were  brought  in  for  "  incorrigibility,"  a  term 
used  whenever  possible  in  girls'  cases  to  avoid  accusation  of  immo- 
rality, but  very  often  indicating  either  suspected  immorality  or  the 
danger  of  its  development. 

PROBLEMS  RELATING  TO   THE  DEPENDENT   CHILD. 

Very  little  information  regarding  the  problems  of  the  dependent 
child  is  available,  except  for  age,  number  of  times  in  court,  and  dis- 
position of  cases.  The  annual  reports  of  the  court  give  only  an  in- 
adequate classification  of  home  conditions.  The  problem  is  often  a 
complicated  one ;  and  yet  only  one  circumstance,  such  as  a  "  drunken 
father  "  or  "  feeble-minded  mother,"  is  set  down  for  each  child.  It 
is,  however,  entirely  possible  to  have  in  the  same  family  a  combina- 
tion of  factors,  such  as  both  a  drunken  father  and  feeble-minded 
mother.  Moreover,  no  extensive  study  of  case  records  of  dependent 
children  has  ever  been  made.  It  is,  therefore,  impossible  to  state 
with  assurance  what  children  constitute  the  group  termed  "  de- 
pendent." 

The  ages  of  dependent  children  are  shown  in  Table  IV.  Among 
these  children  no  appreciable  differences  are  found  between  the  age 
distributions  of  the  girls  and  of  the  boys.  The  table  is  therefore 
presented  for  both  sexes  combined. 

Table  IV. — Age  of  child;  dcpciulcncii  ra.srs  heard  bij  the  juvenile  court,  1915- 

1919.0^ 


Age  of  child. 

Dependent  cases 
heard  by  the  court. 

• 

Number. 

Per  cent, 
distribu- 
tion. 

Total - 

10,631 

100.0 

Under  7  years 

4,137 

5,661 

699 

134 

38.9 

7  years  under  14 

53.2 

6.6 

1.3 

"  Compiled  from  figures  for  fiscal  years  ending  Nov.  30.  Charity  Service  Reports,  Cook 
County.  111.,  1915-1919.  For  1920  the  figures  are  :  Dependency  cases,  1,262.  For  1921 
they  are  :  Dependency  cases,  1,292. 

It  appears  that  during  the  five-year  period  1915-1919  more  than 
pne-third,  38.9  per  cent  of  the  dependent  children,  were  under  7  years 
of  age;  more  than  one-half,  53.2  per  cent,  were  7  and  under  14;  and 
very  few,  only  7.9  per  cent,  were  14  and  over.  This  is  in  marked 
contrast  to  the  group  of  delinquent  children,  none  of  whom  were 
under  9  and  a  large  majority  of  whom  were  14  and  over — 68.9  per 
cent  of  the  boys  and  86.5  per  cent  of  the  girls.^ 

'  See  Table  II,  p.  19. 


22  THE   CHICAGO    JUVENILE   COURT. 

The  juvenile  court  law  uses  the  two  terms  "  dependent "  and 
"  neglected  "  as  applicable  to  the  same  group  of  children.  It  might 
have  been  possible  to  assign  certain  clauses  in  the  definition  imply- 
ing destitution  to  a  "  dependency  "  classification  and  others  imply- 
ing the  presence  of  degrading  influence  to  "  neglect."  Had  this  been 
done,  a  study  of  the  records  might  more  easily  have  revealed  the 
i-elative  numbers  of  the  two  groups.  Such  a  classification  has  not 
been  made,  however,  and  it  has  been  the  custom  of  the  court  to  call 
all  the  children  brought  in  under  this  section  "  dependent." 

How  far  the  court  is  concerned  with  cases  involving  poverty  only, 
it  is  therefore  impossible  to  say.  The  group  of  children  of  widowed 
mothers  who  formerly  might  have  formed  a  large  part  of  the  group 
of  dependents  are  now,  of  course,  cared  for  by  the  aid-to-mothers 
division  ^  of  the  court.  It  was  never  the  policy  of  the  court,  however, 
to  break  up  a  family  on  account  of  poverty  only;  such  examination 
of  the  records  as  has  been  made  indicates  that  the  pension  group  is 
a  group  of  children  different  from  those  treated  under  the  dependency 
clause,  the  only  type  of  case  involving  destitution  alone  handled 
under  the  dependency  definition  being  that  of  the  child  both  of  whose 
parents  are  dead  or  permanently  incapacitated  and  whose  relatives 
are  too  poor  to  assume  the  responsibility  for  his  care.  And  this 
seems  to  be  a  rare  type  of  case,  for  the  situation  is  usually  compli- 
cated by  the  incompetence  or  the  neglect  of  the  relatives  or  of  the 
neighbors  who  assume  the  care  of  children  left  alone  by  the  death  or 
incapacity  of  their  parents. 

Such  a  case  of  neglect,  for  example,  was  that  of  four  children,  three  girls 
and  a  boy,  aged  16,  14,  10,  and  6,  all  the  victims  of  active  tuberculosis.  The 
parents  were  both  dead,  and  the  children  lived  with  a  young  married  sister. 
But  her  husband  worked  irregularly,  and  she  was  careless  about  their  illness 
and  failed  to  see  that  they  went  regularly  to  the  free  dispensary  for  treatment. 

Another  case  illustrating  the  fact  that  with  destitution  are  often  found 
elements  of  degradation  is  that  of  two  girls,  15  and  8  years  old,  and  a  boy  of 
13,  whose  parents  were  both  in  a  State  hospital  for  the  insane.  An  older  sister 
assumed  responsibility  for  them,  but  she  was  only  24  years  of  age,  was  divorced, 
and  was  suspected  of  being  a  prostitute.  The  15-year-old  girl,  lacking  the  con- 
trol and  help  needed,  became  delinquent  before  the  court's  attention  was  again 
called  to  the  family. 

In  some  cases  illness  combines  with  poverty  to  prevent  the  parents 
from  fulfilling  their  responsibilities  to  their  children. 

Such  a  case  was  that  of  four  children,  all  under  13.  The  mother  had  died 
of  tuberculosis,  and  the  father,  though  himself  able  to  work  only  irregularly 
because  of  tuberculosis,  was  trying  to  keep  the  family  together.  In  the  end 
it  was  necessary  for  him  to  go  to  a  sanatorium  and  to  allow  the  court  to 
make  provision  for  the  children. 

*  "  Mothers'  pension  division  "  since  enactment  of  amending  law,  June  29,  1921.  Illi- 
nois Laws,  1921,  p.  162. 


THE   ADMINISTRATIVE   PROBLEMS   OF   THE    COURT.  23 

When  both  parents  are  living,  it  is  often  some  neglect  on  their 
part  that  brings  the  child  into  court.  The  neglect,  however,  may  be 
quite  unintentional  and  the  result  of  ignorance  or  of  sheer  inability 
to  meet  the  situation. 

For  example,  in  the  case  of  two  Lithuanian  children,  a  girl  of  11  and  a  boy  of 
8,  the  mother  was  a  paralytic  and  had  been  in  the  county  hospital  for  months. 
The  father  worked  in  the  steel  mills  12  hours  a  day.  The  children  had  not 
been  in  school  all  year  and  were  alone  all  day,  doing  whatever  housework  was 
done. 

Perhaps  the  commonest  form  of  neglect  is  the  desertion  of  the 
children  by  one  or  by  both  parents.  Neither  the  deserted  wife  nor 
the  unmarried  mother  is  eligible  to  aid  under  the  aid  to  mothers  law. 
A  mother  whose  husband  deserts,  leaving  her  to  support  several 
small  children,  may  be  able  for  a  time  to  hold  the  family  together, 
but  if  sickness  comes  or  a  time  of  unusual  strain,  the  only  course 
open  to  her  may  be  to  place  the  children  in  an  institution,  and  for 
this  purpose  she  appeals  to  the  court.  The  child  of  the  unmarried 
mother  frequently  becomes  "  dependent "  in  the  same  way. 

If  the  mother  is  dead,  the  father  finds  it  even  more  difficult  than 
the  mother  to  take  the  place  of  both  parents.  Leaving  the  children 
with  relatives  often  seems  the  easiest  solution  of  the  problem,  but 
it  is  not  always  a  satisfactory  solution. 

Such  a  case  was  that  of  a  12-year-old  dependent  girl  found  living  with  her 
maternal  grandmother  and  aunt  in  a  house  of  prostitution.  Her  mother  was 
dead ;  her  father  had  married  again  and  had  other  children.  He  had  allowed 
the  grandmother  to  keep  the  little  girl.  He  seldom  saw  her,  and  he  knew 
nothing  of  the  conditions  in  the  home. 

When  the  mother  has  died,  the  father  sometimes  attempts  to  meet 
the  needs  of  the  family  by  employing  a  housekeeper.  This  often 
leads  to  friction  with  the  older  children  and  sometimes  to  irregular 
sex  relationships.  It  is  not  then  surprising  that  many  fathers  who 
are  not  very  vigorous,  despair  of  finding  a  way  out  and,  lacking  a 
keen  sense  of  responsibility,  desert  the  home  and  abandon  the  chil- 
dren to  the  mercy  of  the  community.  The  burden  in  these  cases 
may  fall  on  older  children  who  are  still  too  young  to  be  expected  to 
assume  the  cares  of  a  large  family,  or  who  already  have  families 
of  their  own.  The  court  is  often  called  upon  to  assist  in  the  adjust- 
ments necessary  in  situations  of  this  kind. 

One  father,  for  instance,  deserted  six  children  a  few  years  after  the  mother's 
death.  He  had  a  housekeeper  for  a  time,  who  lived  with  him  as  his  wife,  but 
the  children  objected,  and  he  finally  left  home.  The  22-year-old  married  son, 
who  had  tuberculosis,  was  trying  to  care  for  a  sister  of  15  and  three  brothers  of 
12,  10,  and  8 ;  but  his  wife's  illness  made  it  necessary  for  him  to  ask  the  court  to 
find  homes  for  the  children. 


24  THE    CHICAGO    JUVENH^E    COUET. 

Desertion  on  the  part  of  the  mother  is  probably  less  common  than 
on  the  part  of  the  father.  There  is,  however,  no  reason  to  believe 
that  if  left  alone  the  mother  assumes  the  double  burden  more  wil- 
lingly than  the  father  whose  wife  has  left  him.  The  mother  who 
deserts  is  usually  one  who  runs  away  with  another  man,  leaving  the 
children  with  their  father.  The  situation  that  the  father  must  meet 
is  more  difficult  than  that  caused  by  a  mother's  death,  for  his  sense 
of  responsibility  is  naturally  weakened  by  her  defection  and  by  the 
feeling  that  he  is  after  all  not  entirely  to  blame  for  what  may  happen 
to  the  children. 

In  the  case  of  five  children  under  14  whose  mother  deserted,  nothing  seemed 
possible  but  to  distribute  the  children  among  relatives  and  institutions. 

So  far  the  cases  cited  have  illustrated  a  comparatively  simple  form 
of  neglect,  that  caused  by  the  desertion  of  one  or  both  parents. 
More  difficult  to  handle  are  those  cases  in  which  the  parents  are  either 
incompetent  through  physical  or  mental  defect  or  are  actually  so  de- 
graded as  to  be  a  menace  to  the  well-being  of  the  children.  The 
presence  of  mental  defect  and  of  tuberculosis  is  frequently  the  domi- 
nating factor  in  the  situation. 

A  mother  of  nine  children  was  found  to  have  a  mental  age  of  11  years.  Two 
of  the  younger  children  had  glandular  tuberculosis,  but  all  the  social  agencies 
who  had  been  interested  in  the  family  had  found  it  impossible  to  impress  upon 
her  the  necessity  for  sending  the  children  to  the  dispensary.  An  18-year-old 
daughter  was  mentally  subnormal  and  became  delinquent.  The  17-year-old  son 
was  in  court  several  times  for  stealing  and  was  finally  committed  to  the  house 
of  correction  for  burglary.  The  13-year-old  boy  was  a  truant  and  stole  property 
from  the  school.  The  home  was  dirty  and  disorderly.  The  father  seemed  no 
more  competent  to  manage  the  family  than  the  mother. 

It  is  often  particularly  difficult  in  the  absence  of  vigorous  control 
by  the  health  authorities  to  enforce  parental  responsibility  for  the 
health  of  the  children. 

A  deserted  mother  who  had  pulmonary  tuberculosis  in  such  an  advanced 
stage  as  to  be  a  menace  to  the  health  of  her  three  children,  aged  7,  5,  and  1, 
finally  consented  to  go  to  a  county  sanatorium,  where  the  children  were  also 
to  be  treated  for  glandular  tuberculosis ;  but  when  the  ambulance  arrived  she 
managed  to  escape,  taking  the  baby  and  deserting  the  other  two  children. 

Somewhat  special  cases  are  those  in  which  parent's  try  to  dispose  of 
their  children  in  return  for  money. 

In  one  case,  an  Italian  mother  was  deserted  by  her  husband  just  before  the 
birth  of  her  second  child.  The  first  child  was  only  14  months  old,  and  she 
allowed  the  doctor  to  give  the  second  baby  away.  Complaint  was  made  to  the 
court  that  the  baby  had  been  given  to  a  colored  woman  who  kept  a  disorderly 
house.  The  baby  was  placed  for  a  time  in  an  institution,  then  given  back  to  the 
mother.    Later,  however,  the  mother  gave  the  child  to  the  same  woman  on 


THE    ADMINISTRATIVE    PROBLEMS    OF    THE    COURT.  25 

her  promise  to  pay  $500.  Needless  to  say  the  mother  never  received  the  $500 ; 
but  the  baby  had  been  removed  from  the  court's  jurisdiction,  and  months  of 
effort  on  the  part  of  the  court  failed  to  locate  the  child. 

From  the  citation  of  these  cases  it  will  be  seen  that  the  problem  of 
the  dependent  child  is  a  problem  into  which  enter  a  number  of  com- 
plicating and  interrelated  factors — destitution,  sickness,  mental  de- 
fect, moral  degradation,  desertion,  ignorance,  incompetence,  and  neg- 
lect. It  is  the  problem  of  the  juvenile  court  to  break  the  vicious  circle 
of  poor  inheritance,  lack  of  training,  and  social  neglect  that  often 
characterize  the  experience  of  the  parents  and  to  lift  the  dependent 
children  out  of  circumstances  that  cause  suffering  and  deprivation  or 
that  may  lead  to  delinquency. 
88005°— 22 3 


ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  COURT. 

THE  JUDGE. 

The  judge  of  the  juvenile  court  is  one  of  the  20  judges  of  the 
circuit  court  of  Cook  County.  As  such,  he  is  elected  by  popular 
vote  for  a  term  of  six  years  and  is  selected  as  a  judge  of  the  juvenile 
court  by  vote  of  all  the  circuit  court  judges  of  the  county.  He  re- 
ceives a  salary  of  $12,000  a  year,  paid  half  by  the  State  and  half  by 
the  county.  The  selection  may,  oy  law,  be  made  "  at  such  times  as 
they  shall  determine,"^  but  it  has  been  the  practice  of  the  circuit 
court  judges  in  Chicago  to  continue  to  select  the  same  person  as 
judge  of  the  juvenile  court  as  long  as  he  remains  in  office  or  as  long 
as  he  can  be  persuaded  to  serve.  During  the  20  years  of  its  exist- 
ence only  four  judges  have  presided  regularly  over  the  juvenile 
court.^ 

A  number  of  other  judges,  however,  have  presided  over  the  court 
temporarily.  When  the  judge  of  the  juvenile  court  is  on  vacation, 
ill,  or  necessarily  absent  from  the  bench  for  some  other  reason  one  of 
the  other  judges  of  the  circuit  court  hears  juvenile  cases.  Since  1919, 
moreover,  when  the  work  became  too  heavy  for  one  judge,  the  judge 
of  the  juvenile  court  has  devoted  one  week  in  each  month  to  the  hear- 
ing of  contested  cases  and  to  special  administrative  work  and  during 
that  week  another  judge  sits  in  his  place.  That  judge  is  from  another 
circuit  and  was  designated  by  the  supreme  court,  and  so  far  as  pos- 
sible he  acts  in  all  cases  in  which  the  judge  of  the  juvenile  court  can 
not  be  present.  When  he  is  unable  to  sit,  other  judges  have  to  be 
called  in,  and  they  are  designated  by  the  circuit  court.  The  hearings, 
naturally,  are  noticeably  different  when  one  of  the  judges  less  experi- 
enced in  juvenile  court  work  is  on  the  bench.  In  general,  however, 
the  presiding  judge  is  disposed  to  recognize  that  he  is  sitting  only  as 
a  substitute  and  to  rely  upon  the  probation  department  for  guidance 
or  to  continue  the  more  difficult  cases  until  the  judge  of  the  juvenile 
court  returns. 

>  Hurd's  niinoia  Revised  Statutes,  1919,  ch.  23,  sec.  171. 

"Hon.  Richard  S.  Tuthill,  who  served  from  July  1,  1809,  to  June  30,  1905,  and  from 
July  1,  1907,  to  June  30,  1908;  Hon.  Julian  W.  Mack,  from  July  1,  190.5,  to  June  30. 
1907 ;  Hon.  Merritt  W.  I'lnckney,  from  July  1,  1908,  to  June  30,  1916 ;  and  Hon.  Victor 
P.  Arnold,  from  June  30,  1916,  to  the  present  time. 

26 


ORGANIZATIOIir    OF    THE    COURT.  27 

The  duties  of  the  judge  are  both  administrative  and  judicial,  but 
whether  or  not  he  takes  an  active  part  in  the  administrative  affairs 
of  the  court  depends  somewhat  upon  his  own  inclination,  for  he  is 
given  power  by  law  to  intrust  to  the  probation  department  all  ad- 
ministrative duties.  That  it  is  possible  for  him  to  retain  the  direc- 
tion of  general  policies  is  shown  by  the  testimony  of  Judge  Pinck- 
ney^  before  the  county  civil  service  commission.  When,  however, 
the  judge  is  called  upon  to  hear  more  than  8,000  cases  in  a  year,  an 
average  of  30  cases  a  day,  5  days  in  the  week,  it  is  obviously  impos- 
sible for  him  to  attend  to  administrative  details.  In  practice,  then, 
the  judge  is  responsible  for  the  formulation  of  important  general 
rules  of  administration,  and  the  actual  carrying  out  of  policies  is 
left  to  the  probation  staff. 

The  personality  and  the  high  qualifications  necessary  for  a  judge 
of  the  juvenile  court  have  often  been  stressed.  Judge  Mack,  for- 
merly judge  of  the  Chicago  court,  in  speaking  of  the  training  neces- 
sary for  the  judge,  says: 

The  public  at  large,  sympathetic  with  the  work,  and  even  the  probation  offi- 
cers who  are  not  lawyers,  regard  him  (the  judge)  as  one  having  almost 
autocratic  power.  Because  of  the  extent  of  his  .lurisdiction  and  the  tremendous 
responsibility  that  it  entails,  it  is,  in  my  judgment,  absolutely  essential  that 
he  be  a  trained  lawyer,  thoroughly  imbued  with  the  doctrine  that  ours  is  *  a 
government  of  laws,  not  of  men.'  He  must,  however,  be  more  than  this.  He 
must  be  a  student  of  and  deeply  interested  in  the  problems  of  philanthropy 
and  child  life  as  well  as  a  lover  of  children.  He  must  be  able  to  understand 
a  boy's  point  of  view  and  ideas  of  justice;  he  must  be  patient  and  willing  to 
search  out  the  underlying  causes  of  the  trouble  and  to  formulate  the  plan  by 
Vi^hich,  through  the  cooperation,  ofttimes  of  many  agencies,  the  cure  may  be 
effected."'  ^ 

The  Chicago  court  has  been  particularly  fortunate  in  its  judges, 
who  have  been  remarkably  free  from  political  influence  and  have 
fulfilled  as  nearly  as  can  be  expected  the  conditions  mentioned  above. 
The  judge  now  sitting  is  said  to  have  an  extraordinary  patience,  sym- 
pathy, and  capacity  for  inspiring  confidence.  It  is  said  that  his 
decisions  are  rendered  after  a  hearing  so  fair,  gentle,  courteous,  and 
firm  that  they  seem  to  all  parties  inevitable  and  conclusive. 

WOMAN    ASSISTANT   TO    THE   JUDGE   TO    HEAR    CASES    OF 
DELINQUENT  GIRLS. 

The  juvenile  court  law  makes  no  provision  for  the  appointment  of  a 
woman  to  hear  cases  of  delinquent  girls.    The  difficulties  of  hearing 

3  Breckinridg-e,  S.  P.,  and  Abbott,  Edith :  The  DelinqueJit  Child  and  thp  TTome,  Ap- 
pondix  II,  Charities  Publication  Committee.  New  York,  1912. 

*  Mack,  .1.  W.,  "  Legal  problems  involved  in  the  establishment  of  the  juvenile  court."  in 
Breckinridge,  S.  P.,  and  Abbott,  E.  :  The  Delinquent  Child  and  the  Home,  Charities  Pub- 
lication Committee,  New  York,  1912,  p.  198. 


28  THE    CHICAGO    JUVENILE    COURT. 

girls'  cases  in  open  court,  however,  led  the  judge  in  1913  to  recommend 
to  the  county  board  the  creation  of  a  probation  officer's  position  which 
might  serve  such  a  need.  The  judge  was  given  authority  to  appoint 
a  woman,  who  is  known  as  assistant  to  the  judge  but  has  the  legal 
status  of  a  probation  officer.  The  woman  appointed  was  a  lawyer 
who  had  been  for  a  number  of  years  public  guardian.  She  has  served 
as  assistant  to  the  judge  from  1913  until  the  present  time.  As  pro- 
bation officer  she  has  no  power  to  render  a  decision  in  any  case,  but 
issues  an  opinion  in  the  form  of  a  recommendation  to  the  judge,  which 
in  practice  is  rarely  reversed. 

The  adoption  of  this  policy  gave  rise  to  certain  criticism,  however, 
and  in  1915  complaint  was  made  to  the  grand  jury  that  cases  were 
decided  by  the  assistant,  who  was  sitting  "  without  warrant  of  law  " 
and  holding  a  "  mock  court."  The  result  was,  nevertheless,  a  cordial 
indorsement  of  the  plan,  for  after  hearing  many  witnesses  and  after 
an  investigation  of  the  administration  of  the  court  by  a  committee 
of  its  members,  the  grand  jury  reported  to  the  criminal  court  of  Cook 
County  ^  that,  while  it  was  incompetent  to  pass  upon  the  legality  of 
the  work  of  the  assistant  to  the  judge,  it  felt  that  "  it  would  be  highly 
desirable  to  amend  the  juvenile  court  act  so  as  to  remove  all  doubt 
as  to  the  powers  and  duties  of  the  woman  assistant  to  the  presiding 
judge.  *  *  *  It;  desires,  however,  to  commend  in  the  strongest 
terms  the  idea  that  cases  of  delinquent  girls  should  be  held,  as  at 
present,  as  privately  as  possible  before  a  competent  court." 

THE  PROBATION  DEPARTMENT. 

Appointment  and  discharge. 

Probation  officers,  as  before  stated,  are  appointed  by  the  judge  of 
the  juvenile  court  on  the  basis  of  competitive  examination.  In  gen- 
eral no  minimum  educational  requirements  are  specified,  but  the  com- 
mittee in  charge  of  the  examination  may  refuse  to  recommend  anyone 
who  fails  in  the  particular  examination  to  give  evidence  of  a  certain 
educational  standard. 

While  this  method  of  selection  and  appointment  has  been  strictly 
adhered  to,  there  had,  until  October  4, 1921,  been  no  similar  provision 
for  facilitating  the  discharge  of  officers  who  eventually  prove  to  be 
unfit  for  service.  It  is,  of  course,  a  defect  of  many  civil-service  sys- 
tems that  the  provision  for  the  discharge  of  incompetent  persons 
is  ineffective.  The  civil  service  law  usually  contains  a  provision  for 
dismissal  after  a  formal  hearing  on  a  specific  charge  of  misconduct 
or  incompetency.  The  Chicago  court  has  established  no  substitute 
for  this  civil-service  method.  Hence,  the  exercise  of  his  unquestioned 
power  of  dismissal  brings  upon  the  judge  the  entire  odium  result- 

p  Charity  Service  Reports,  Cook  County,  111.,  1915,  p.  224, 


ORGANIZATION    OF   THE    COURT.  29 

ing  from  the  dismissal,  and  he  may  hesitate,  for  various  reasons,  to 
dismiss  incompetent  persons.*^  As  a  matter  of  fact,  only  one  dismissal 
and  one  suspension  upon  a  charge  of  incompetency  have  occurred  since 
the  dismissal  of  the  chief  probation  officer  in  1911. 

Number. 

The  number  of  probation  officers  is  determined  each  year  by  the  ^ 
circuit  judges.  At  the  present  time  ^  the  staff  numbers  145  persons — 
17  civil-service  appointees,  26  police  probation  officers  paid  by  the 
city  of  Chicago,  and  102  probation  officers  paid  by  the  county. 
Among  those  designated  as  probation  officers  are  the  v^oman  who 
acts  as  assistant  to  the  judge,  hearing  cases  of  delinquent  girls,  and 
the  chief  probation  officer,  who  is  responsible  for  the  direction  of 
the  entire  staff.  Under  him  are  a  deputy  chief  probation  officer 
and  5  assistant  probation  officers  who  act  as  heads  of  the  investigation 
division,  the  family  supervision  division,  the  delinquent  boys'  divi- 
sion, the  child-placing  division,  and  the  aid  to  mothers'  division. 
Eighty-three  assistant  probation  officers  are  assigned  to  these  various 
divisions.  Eleven  others  are  assigned  to  special  work  and  would  not 
ordinarily  be  considered  probation  officers.  They  include  a  psycholo- 
gist working  with  the  Institute  for  Juvenile  Research,  the  secretaries 
to  the  jndge  and  to  the  assistant  to  the  judge,  a  nurse  connected  with 
the  court  dispensary,  four  court  reporters,  two  interpreters,  and  an 
officer  whose  function  is  to  see  that  orders  of  the  court  for  payment 
of  support  are  enforced.  The  17  civil-service  employees  are  clerical 
assistants. 

Of  the  90  officers  who  carry  on  the  work  usually  regarded  as  pro- 
bation work,  75  are  women  and  15  are  men.  Twenty-six  were  ap- 
pointed before  1913  and  were  reappointed  without  further  exami- 
nation when  the  portion  of  the  law  under  which  they  had  been  ap- 

"  On  Oct.  4,  1921,  however,  the  following  actions  on  the  part  of  the  chief  probation 
officer  were  authorized  : 

Suspensions. — The  chief  probation  officer  to  have  authority  to  suspend  any  assistant 
probation  officer  for  a  definite  period  without  pay,  not  to  .-xceed  30  days,  by  notifying 
the  officer  of  his  suspension  either  verbally  or  in  writing,,  and  at  the  same  time  submitting 
to  the  .i\idge  of  the  juvenile  court  a  written  statement  reciting  the  name  of  the  em- 
ployee, the  date  of  suspension,  the  period  thereof  and  the  cause  thei-efor,  and  in  case  tlie 
suspension  is  to  be  followed  by  charges,  a  request  for  discharge  or  removal.  The  officer 
shall  have  the  right  to  appeal  to  the  judge  within  5  days  of  the  date  of  the  suspension. 

Removal  and  discharge. — In  case  request  is  made  for  removal  or  discharge  of  any 
assistant  probation  officer,  written  notice  of  the  filing  of  charges  against  the  oflicer  shall 
be  given  to  him  stating  specifically  the  facts  alleged  to  constitute  the  cause  for  removal. 
A  written  reply  to  the  charges  may  be  made  by  the  officer  to  the  judge  within  5  days. 

Causes  for  removal  or  du^charge. —  (1)  Has  violated  a  lawful  and  reasonable  depart- 
mental order  publicly  posted  in  the  department. 

(2)  Has  failed  to  obey  a  lawful  and  reasonable  direction  made  and  given  him  by  hia 
superior  officer  where  such  failure  amounts  to  an  act  of  insubordination  or  serious  breach 
of  proper  discipline,,  or  resulted  or  might  reasonably  have  been  expected  to  result  in 
loss  or  injury  to  a  child. 

(3)  That  he  fails  to  perform  properly  the  duties  of  his  position. 
The  fiscal  year  ending  Nov.  30,  1921. 


30  THE   CHICAGO   JUVENILE   COUET. 

pointed  was  declared  unconstitutional;  the  other  64  have  obtained 
their  positions  by  passing  one  of  the  competitive  examinations  held 
by  the  court  itself. 

Salaries. 

The  juvenile  court  law  provides  for  the  payment  of  the  salaries 
of  the  probation  staff  by  the  county  board  of  commissioners.  This 
means  that  the  amount  of  the  salary  is  determined  by  the  county 
board,  although  the  number  of  officers  is  determined  by  the  circuit 
judges  and  appointment  is  in  the  hands  of  the  juvenile  court  judge. 
The  payment  of  all  salaries  depends,  of  course,  upon  appropriations 
of  the  county  board  of  commissioners.  Thus,  as  in  the  case  of  funds 
for  mothers'  pensions,  the  juvenile  court  is  dependent  upon  a  sepa- 
rate and  at  times  hostile  department  of  the  government  for  the  pro- 
vision of  funds  to  establish  a  competent  and  sufficient  force  of  pro- 
bation officers.  The  complaint  is  frequently  made  that  the  court 
can  not  get  better  trained  officers,  particularly  men,  because  the  sala- 
ries paid  do  not  measure  up  to  those  in  allied  professions,  nor  in 
some  cases  to  those  having  a  more  political  character.  The  salary 
of  the  assistant  to  the  judge  is  at  present  ®  $5,500  a  year;  that  of  the 
chief  probation  officer,  $3,300 ;  of  the  deputy  chief  probation  officer, 
$2,400;  of  heads  of  divisions,  $2,196;  of  district  officers,  $1,788,  out 
of  which  "  field  expenses  "  are  paid.^  To  be  sure,  the  salaries  of 
heads  of  divisions  and  district  officers  compare  favorably  with  the 
salaries  of  private  case-work  agencies  doing  similar  work.  For  ex- 
ample, the  district  superintendents  of  the  United  Charities  receive 
from  $1,680  to  $2,000  and  visitors  from  $1,080  to  $1,680.  But  these 
positions  are  largely  held  by  women;  the  positions  are  notoriously 
underpaid,  and  those  organizations,  too,  suffer  from  excessive  "  labor 
turnover." 

Organization. 

The  organization  of  the  probation  department  is  necessarily  some- 
what complicated.  The  chief  probation  officer  is  the  administrative 
head  of  the  department  responsible  for  carrying  out  such  policies 
of  the  organization  as  have  been  agreed  upon  with  the  judge  for  the 
general  supervision  of  the  entire  staff,  for  securing  cooperative  rela- 
tions with  other  agencies,  etc.  The  deputy  chief  probation  officer 
assists  the  chief  probation  officer  in  the  discharge  of  his  administra- 
tive duties  and  in  the  general  supervision  of  the  work  of  the  proba- 
tion officers.  In  addition,  the  deputy  chief  probation  officer  acts  as 
chairman  of  the  committee  that  investigates  all  cases  of  dependent 

8  Fiscal  year  ending  Nov.  30,  1921. 

"Two  of  the  officers  who  have  charge  of  farm  placements  receive  $19  per  month  extm 
for  field  expenses.  Tickets  to  outlying  districts  are  furnished  to  any  of  the  officers  and 
paid  for  as  office  expenses.    Ordinary  carfare  is,  however,  paid  by  the  officers. 


ORGANIZATION    OF   THE   COURT. 


31 


and  neo:lectecl  children  before  they  are  brought  into  court,  receives 
all  applications  for  the  release  of  delinquent  children  who  have  been 
committed  to  institutions,  and  handles  the  correspondence  in  the 
cases  of  nonresident  children  who  are  brought  to  the  court's  attention. 

ORGANIZATION  OF  THE   PROBATION   DEPARTMENT. 

Judge. 


Assistant  to  judge— Woman  lawyer. 


Chief  probation  officer. 
Deputy  chief  probation  officer. 


1 

i 

1 

1 

! 

1 

1 

Police 

Investi- 

Family 

Probation 

Child- 

Aid  to 

Probation 

Clerical 

probation 

gation 

super- 

for 

placing 

mothers 

officers 

assist- 

officers' 

division: 

vision 

delin- 

division: 

division: 

on 

ants, 

division: 

division: 

quent 
boys' 

special 
work: 

including 
7  stenog- 

26 

division : 

raphers, 

officers 

5  typists. 

(paid  by 

and 

city  of 

14 

30 

15 

8 

21 

11 

5  clerks. 

Chicago). 

officers. 

officers. 

officers. 

officers. 

officers. 

The  assignment  of  the  probation  officers  to  the  various  divisions 
IS  generally  based  upon  the  principle  of  specialization  of  function, 
although  as  will  be  seen  from  the  later  discussion  there  are  many 
points  at  which  this  principle  can  not  be  applied.  The  investigation 
division  with  14  officers  has  charge  of  the  investigation  of  all  com- 
plaints made  directly  to  the  court.  The  family  supervision  division 
includes  30  officers  who  supervise  dependent  children  and  delinquent 
girls  placed  on  probation  in  their  own  homes.  The  delinquent  boys' 
division  with  15  officers  is  responsible  for  the  probation  of  delin- 
quent boys ;  the  child-placing  division  with  8  officers  secures  family 
homes  for  dependent  children  and  delinquent  girls  removed  from 
their  own  homes  but  not  committed  to  institutions;  and  the  aid 
to  mothers  division  with  21  officers  investigates  and  supervises  all 
mothers'  pension  cases.  The  accompanying  chart  indicates  the  or- 
ganization of  the  probation  department.^" 

Within  the  divisions  the  work  is  organized  in  the  main  along 
territorial  lines,  with  each  officer  responsible  for  the  cases  in  a  given 
district.  This  system,  however,  is  not  uniformly  followed.  In  the 
investigation  division,  for  example,  one  officer  has  developed  such 
skill  in  handling  cases  in  which  delicate  moral  situations  are  in- 
volved that  all  such  cases  are  now  assigned  to  her ;  in  the  family 
supervision  division  two  officers  devote  all  their  time  to  follow-up 
work  with  the  families  of  children  committed  to  manual-training  and 
industrial  schools;  and  in  the  delinquent  boys'  division  two  officers 
have  entire  charge  of  farm  placements. 


'"  Chart   from   Charity    Service   Reports, 
brought  up  to  date). 


Cook    County.    Illinois.    1918,   p.    20G    (figures 


32  THE  CHICAGO   JUVENILE   COURT. 

In  addition  to  the  two  interpreters  mentioned,  whose  work  is  in 
the  courtroom,  the  probation  staff  includes  officers  speaking;  Polish, 
Hungarian,  Italian,  German,  Lithuanian,  and  most  of  the  Slavic 
dialects.  Under  the  district  system"  a  foreign-speaking  officer  is 
assigned  to  a  district  in  which  his  language  is  prevalent.  This  does 
not  mean,  however,  that  all  foreign-speaking  officers  supervise  only 
foreign-speaking  families  or  that  all  foreign  families  are  assigned 
to  officers  of,  their  own  nationality.  Of  the  five  negro  officers,  how- 
ever, four  work  exclusively  with  negro  families. 

All  the  territory  in  the  county  outside  the  limits  of  the  city  of 
Chicago  is  included  in  the  regular  probation  districts  with  the  ex- 
ception of  four  towns  lying  to  the  north.  In  one  of  these  the  secre- 
tary of  the  associated  charities  acts  as  truant  officer  and  also  takes 
charge  of  all  dependent  and  delinquent  cases.  She  is  paid  by  the 
town  and  is  commissioned  as  a  volunteer  probation  officer  by  the 
juvenile  court.  The  truant  officer  in  another  town  and  the  town- 
ship supervisor  of  the  poor  in  each  of  the  other  two  act  as  volunteer 
probation  officers.  All  these  officers  take  charge  of  all  police  cases, 
bring  children  to  the  detention  home,  and  Derform  all  the  functions 
of  the  regular  county  probation  officers. 

Except  in  these  towns,  cases  outside  the  city  of  Chicago  which  are 
reported  to  the  court  by  police  officers  are  investigated  by  officers  of 
the  investigation  division.  Most  such  cases,  however,  have  already 
been  dealt  with  by  justices  of  the  peace  and  are  formally  transferred 
by  them  to  the  juvenile  court.  Children  in  these  districts  are  placed 
on  probation  to  the  regular  probation  officers  of  the  juvenile  court. 

Police  probation  officers. 

The  police  probation  officers  form  a  distinct  division  of  the  pro- 
bation staff.  The  chief  of  police  has  assigned  26  of  these  officers  paid 
by  the  city  to  the  juvenile  court.  They  work  under  the  immediate 
direction  of  one  of  their  number ;  but  inasmuch  as  they  receive  com- 
missions as  probation  officers  from  the  juvenile  court,  they  are  also 
brought  under  the  supervision  of  the  chief  probation  officer.  In  1899, 
when  the  judge  of  the  juvenile  court  requested  the  assignment  of 
police  officers,  such  officers  met  a  very  real  need  that  could  not  have 
been  met  otherwise.  Whether  or  not  it  is  wise  to  retain  them  now 
that  higher  standards  of  work  have  been  developed  and  better  trained 
officers  have  been  secured  by  the  court  is  open  to  question.  Two 
reasons,  however,  for  perpetuating  the  system  are :  First,  the  volume 
of  work  which  is  very  great  in  proportion  to  the  size  of  the  staff: 
second,  the  fact  that  complaints,  particularly  of  delinquent  boys,  will 
probably  always  be  made  at  police  stations,  and  it  is  well  to  have  a 
certain  officer  from  each  station  assigned  to  handle  juvenile  cases  so 
that  he  will  receive  some  supervision  from  the  probation  office  and 
become  familiar  with  juvenile  court  procedure. 


ORGANIZATIOlSr    OF    THE   COURT.  33 

The  police  probation  officers  are  assigned  to  police  districts  and 
within  those  districts  perform  some  of  the  functions  of  the  regular 
juvenile  court  probation  officers.  Their  duties,  however,  are  now  nar- 
rowly restricted.  They  receive  complaints  filed  at  police  stations,  in- 
vestigate the  cases  involved,  file  petitions  and  appear  in  court  with  the 
children  to  present  the  case.  Tliey  are  not  allowed  to  do  any  pro- 
bation work,  and  cases  continued  under  supervision  are  always  as- 
signed to  the  regular  probation  officers.  The  police  probation  of- 
ficers wear  citizen's  clothes  and  are  not  to  be  confused  with  the  uni- 
formed police  force  of  the  city,  although  they  are  under  the  authority 
of  the  chief  of  police.  The  principal  importance  of  their  work  lies 
in  the  more  intelligent  handling  of  juvenile  cases  in  the  police  stations 
and  in  the  elimination  of  the  uniformed  police  officer  from  the 
juvenile  court  room.  Their  work  will  be  described  at  greater  length 
in  the  section  dealing  with  methods  of  investigation.^^ 

RECORDS  AND  REPORTS. 

Annual  reports. 

The  chief  probation  officer  and  the  matron  of  the  juvenile  deten- 
tion liome  report  annually  to  the  board  of  commissioners  of  Cook 
County.  These  reports  are  published  each  year  with  the  reports 
of  other  departments  of  the  county  government  in  the  Cook  County 
jCharity^  Service  Reports  and  separate  reprints  are  issued  as  well. 

The  annual  report  of  the  chief  probation  officer  contains  a  brief 
summary  of  the  progress  made  during  the  year,  the  plans  for  the 
future,  numerous  statistical  tables,  and  in  some  ^^^ears  a  history  of 
the  court.  In  1919,  38  of  the  70  pages  of  the  report  were  devoted  to 
statistical  tables.  The  character  of  this  statistical  information  has 
improved  within  the  last  few  years,  at  least  from  the  point  of  view 
of  accuracy,  though  errors  are  still  not  uncommon.  The  material 
selected  for  presentation  is  not,  however,  always  that  of  the  greatest 
value  to  persons  interested  in  the  condition  of  the  cliildren  who  be- 
come wards  of  the  court.  Tables  such  as  those  showing  home  con- 
ditions and  offenses  are  compiled  by  statistical  clerks  after  hasty 
reading  of  parts  of  the  case  records.  These  tables  fail  by  their 
simplicity  to  give  a  picture  of  the  very  complicated  conditions  exist- 
ing and  are,  therefore,  likely  to  be  misleading.  The  summary  tables 
of  children  placed  on  probation  and  committed  to  institutions  for 
each  year  since  1904  fail  to  agree  with  the  figures  given  in  other 
tables  presented  and  seem  to  be  of  little  value.  Finally,'  the  tables  ^ 
present  information  only  for  cases,  never  for  children. 

Case  records. 

The  records  of  the  juvenile  court  include  not  onlj^  legal  papers 
but  social  records  giving  as  completely  as  possible  the  information 

"  See  p.  40. 


C^.U- 


34  THE    CHICAGO    JUVENILE   COURT. 

that  the  court  has  obtained  with  regard  to  the  child  and  the  family. 
The  legal  papers,  including  the  petition,  the  summons,  the  steno- 
graphic report  of  the  hearing,  and  the  judge's  order  regarding  dis- 
position, are  in  charge  of  the  clerk  of  the  circuit  court  and  are  filed 
in  the  vaults  of  the  county  building.  They  are  public  records  open 
to  any  interested  citizen. 

The  records  of  the  probation  department,  however,  the  social 
records,  are  private  records  for  the  use  of  the  court  and  are  open  to 
outsiders  only  upon  the  order  of  the  chief  probation  officer.  This  order 
is  usually  granted  to  a  representative  of  a  recognized  social  agency 
interested  in  a  particular  case. 

Case  records  for  all  the  children  in  one  family  are  kept  in  folder 
form,  and  filed  alphabetically — delinquents  and  dependents  in  one 
file,  mothers'  pension  cases  separately.  Formerly  a  separate  record 
was  kept  for  each  child  in  court,  but  the  duplication  of  reports  and 
the  cross  references  involved  made  the  system  too  complicated  for 
convenience. 

These  records,  dealing  sometimes  with  three  or  four  children  of  the 
family,  and  covering  considerable  periods  of  time,  become  very  bulky 
and  difficult  to  read.  They  are  arranged  by  sections.  One  part,  for 
example,  may  contain  all  the  hearings  for  all  the  children  at  various 
times,  while  another  part  contains  the  probation  officer's  reports  of 
the  progress  of  the  case.  They  are  difficult  to  disentangle  for  any  one 
child  or  for  any  one  period  of  time. 

Active  case  records  of  dependent  and  delinquent  children  are  filed 
together  in  a  room  devoted  entirely  to  clerical  work.  Closed  cases, 
pension  records,  and  supervised-complaint  records  are  kept  in  sepa- 
rate files  in  this  room.  Another  file  contains  records  of  runaway 
children  picked  up  in  Chicago  whose  cases  are  investigated  by  the 
juvenile  court. 

Other  records  and  forms. 

In  addition  to  the  case  records,  the  court  keeps  two  card-index  sys- 
tems— one  recording  the  name  and  disposition  of  every  child  who  has 
ever  been  in  court,  the  other  a  record  of  every  case  investigated  but  not 
brought  into  court.  Besides  these,  a  ledger  is  kept,  in  which  are 
recorded  the  cases  assigned  each  probation  officer,  the  charge,  the  dis- 
position, and  the  number  of  visits  the  officer  makes  to  each  child  each 
month.  From  this  ledger  a  monthly  report  is  prepared  for  the  chief 
probation  officer  and  for  the  heads  of  divisions,  showing  for  each 
officer  the  number  of  families  under  care,  the  total  visits  made  by 
that  officer  in  the  month,  and  the  number  of  families  not  visited. 
These  reports  are  used  as  a  check  upon  the  officers  to  see  that  the  mini- 
mum requirement  of  one  visit  per  month  to  each  family  is  fulfilled 
so  far  as  possible. 


PRELIMINARY  PROCEDURE. 

For  the  ordinary  criminal  procedure  that  might  inchicle,  accord-  ^ 
ing  to  the  seriousness  of  the  offense,  arrest  by  warrant,  examination  ; 
by  a  magistrate,  holding  to  bail,  possibly  indictment,  and  finally  ; 
trial  by  jury,  the  juvenile  court  process  has  substituted  the  less  ; 
rigorous  sequence  of  complaint,  investigation,  petition,  summons,  and 
an  informal  hearing.     At  any  point  in  tliis  process  the  child  may  be 
removed  to  a  special  place  of  detention  or  may  be  left  at  home  with- 
out bail. 

COMPLAINT  AND  PETITION. 

The  juvenile  court  law  provides  that  a  case  may  be  brought  to 
the  attention  of  the  court  by  a  petition  filed  by  any  reputable  citi- 
zen.^ This  applies  to  all  classes  of  cases ;  and  when  a  petition  has 
been  filed  the  case  must  be  heard  by  the  court,  no  matter  what  the 
result  of  the  investigation.  In  order,  then,  to  eliminate  from  the 
docket  cases  that  really  have  no  basis  of  fact  or  that  could  be  easily 
adjusted  without  court  action,  the  "complaint"  system  has  been  \ 
devised.  That  is,  whenever  ''  any  reputable  citizen  "  reports  to  the 
court  a  condition  that,  in  his  opinion,  needs  investigation,  unless  he  1 
insists  upon  filing  a  petition,  he  is  encouraged  to  state  the  difficulty 
in  an  informal  complaint.  This  gives  the  court  an  opportunity  to 
make  a  preliminary  investigation,  and  a  petition  is  then  filed  by  an 
officer  of  the  court  only  if  conditions  found  seem  to  warrant  court 
action.  It  may  be  said  that  while  this  seems  to  place  in  the  hands 
of  the  investigation  division  wide  powers  of  discretion  which  the 
law  contemplated  bestowing  upon  the  judge  of  the  juvenile  court, 
any  person  who  feels  aggrieved  can  insist  upon  filing  a  petition. 
Investigation  is,  moreover,  one  of  the  ci'ucial  points  of  juvenile  court 
procedure;  and  if  a  child  can  be  saved  even  from  so  informal  an 
experience  as  a  juvenile  court  hearing  and  record,  the  use  of  this 
device  is  highly  desirable.  The  court  has  been  hearing  an  average 
of  30  cases  a  day  during  the  last  few  years ;  the  immediate  filing  of 
a  petition  for  every  complaint  would  lay  upon  the  judge  an  impos- 
sible burden. 

INVESTIGATION. 

It  is  the  function  of  the  investigation  division  to  receive  com- 
plaints and  to  make  investigations.     The  division  is  theoretically 

»  Hurd's  Illinois  Revised  Statutes,  1919,  ch.  23,  sec.  172, 

35 


36  THE    CHICAGO   JUVENILE    COURT. 

responsible  for  all  investigations;  in  actual  practice,  however,  only- 
cases  of  dependent  children  are  handled  exclusively  by  its  officers. 
Some  cases  of  delinquent  girls  are  investigated  by  officers  of  the 
family-supervision  division  under  the  direction  of  the  head  of  the 
investigation  division.  Cases  of  delinquent  boys  reported  directly  to 
the  court  are  investigated  by  officers  of  the  delinquent  boys'  division, 
also  under  the  direction  of  the  head  of  the  investigation  division; 
and  cases  of  delinquent  boys  reported  to  the  police,  by  far  the 
greater  number  of  delinquent  boys'  cases,  are  investigated  and  brought 
to  court  by  the  police  probation  officers  with  no  report  to  the 
investigation  division.  Applications  for  mothers'  pensions  are  in- 
vestigated by  the  aid  to  mothers  division,  and  truancy  cases  are 
investigated  by  the  truant  officers  of  the  compulsory  education  de- 
partment of  the  city  board  of  education. 

Wlien  cases  are  brought  to  the  court  by  cooperating  social  agen- 
cies, the  investigation  by  the  agency  is  usually  accepted  by  the  court. 
This  is  particularly  true  of  agencies  whose  representatives  are  com- 
missioned as  volunteer  probation  officers,  such  as  the  Juvenile  Protec- 
tive Association  and  the  group  of  Jewish  social  agencies — including 
the  Bureau  of  Personal  Service  and  the  Jewish  Home  Finding 
Society,  of  Chicago,  now  organized  as  the  Jewish  Social  Service 
Bureau.  The  court  records  in  such  cases  are  often  quite  scanty,  and  it 
is  difficult  to  say  how  adequate  the  investigations  have  been,  particu- 
larly when  the  same  agency  is  given  the  supervision  of  the  case  and 
when  the  only  contact  of  the  court  officers  with  the  case  is  the  hearing. 

Dependent  children. 

It  is  in  the  investigation  of  cases  of  dependent  children  that  the 
court  most  nearly  realizes  its  standards  of  work.  These  cases,  as  it 
has  been  said,  are  handled  entirely  by  the  investigation  division. 
The  first  task  of  the  division  is  the  receipt  of  complaints  and  the 
elimination  of  all  that  are  too  trivial  for  attention  and  of  those  that 
do  not  belong  to  the  juvenile  court.  Anonymous  complaints  are  not 
received  but  are  turned  over  to  a  voluntary  organization,  the  Juvenile 
Protect]  v^e  Association.  Except  in  the  case  of  well-recognized  social 
agencies  complaints  are  not  received  by  telephone  but  must  be  made 
in  person  at  court,  where  they  are  received  by  a  trained  investigator, 
usually  the  head  of  the  division,  who  can  can  tell  whether  the  diffi- 
culty complained  of  is  properly  a  matter  for  juvenile  court  concern, 
or  whether  it  should  be  handled  by  some  other  court  or  agency.  To 
pass  judgment  on  the  complaints  as  they  are  made  requires  a  nice 
sense  of  discrimination,  a  laiowledge  of  the  resources  of  the  com- 
munity, both  public  and  private,  and  a  familiarity  with  juvenile 
court  procedure.    Approximately  one-half  of  the  complaints  received 


PRELIMINARY  PROCEDURE.  37 

at  the  desk  are  disposed  of  without  further  attention  by  the  division. 
Complaints  received  by  mail  are  carefully  studied  by  the  head  of  the 
division  and  eliminated,  referred  to  some  other  agency,  or  investi- 
gated, as  the  circumstances  require.  As  a  result  of  this  preliminary 
scrutiny  of  complaints,  the  number  of  investigations  undertaken  is 
greatly  reduced,  and  the  time  and  energy  of  officers  are  saved  for  the 
most  important  work. 

The  complaints  accepted  are  first  "  cleared "  at  the  confidential 
exchange,  known  as  the  bureau  of  social  registration,  and  a  record 
made  of  all  the  social  agencies  that  have  known  the  family.  The 
case,  with  the  list  of  agencies  already  registered,  is  then  assigned  to 
an  officer  for  investigation. 

Upon  receipt  of  the  complaint  slip  the  officer  assig-ned  to  the  case 
makes  the  kind  of  investigation  that  is  made  by  an^good  case-work 
agency.  The  court  is  concerned  not  only  with  lear^ng  the  truth  or 
falsity  of  the  allegations  of  the  complainant  but  also  with  under- 
standing the  whole  family  situation.  The  names,  ages,  occupations, 
and  earnings,  or  school  and  grade,  of  every  member  of  the  family 
are  obtained  so  far  as  possible,  and  inquiries  are  made  as  to  the  names 
of  relatives,  the  date  of  the  parents'  marriage,  length  of  time  in  Chi- 
cago, housing  conditions,  and  the  family's  moral  status.  The 
technique  is  that  of  a  case- work  agency,  and  the  investigation  must 
necessarily  vary  from  case  to  case.  The  complainant,  if  he  has  not 
been  interviewed  in  the  office,  is  always  consulted  first  and  the  family 
itself  is  always  visited.  Information  is  secured  from  the  usual 
sources:  The  school,  the  employer,  the  church,  relatives,  and  official 
and  social-agency  records.  A  school  record  must  be  obtained  if  the 
case  is  to  be  heard  by  the  court ;  otherwise,  the  officer  uses  her  own 
discretion  about  obtaining  information  from  the  school. 

The  head  of  the  investigation  division  keeps  in  close  touch  with 
the  progress  of  the  investigation,  reads  the  reports  submitted  in  con- 
nection with  all  visits  made,  and  is  at  all  times  accessible  to  the  officer 
for  informal  conferences  on  difficult  questions.  No  complaint  can  be 
dropped  or  otherwise  disposed  of  without  her  approval.^ 

Dependent  cases  are  not,  however,  brought  into  court  on  the  judg- 
ment of  the  investigation  division  alone.  A  committee,  known  as  the 
dependent-case-conference  committee,  acts  as  a  board  of  final  review. 
This  committee  is  composed  of  the  deputy  chief  probation  officer,  the 
head  of  the  investigation  division,  the  head  of  the  family-supervision 
division,  the  officer  in  charge  of  the  work  with  children  committed 
to  institutions,  and  an  assistant  from  the  State's  attorney's  office. 
Cases  presented  to  the  committee  by  the  investigating  officer,  with 
the  consent  of  the  head  of  the  investigating  division,  are  subjected  to 


=  The  number  of  complaints  adjusted  without  court  action  will  be  discussed  at  a  later 
point.  .  See  p.  42, 


38  THE    CHICAGO    JUVEIsTILE    COURT. 

a  searching  analysis  by  the  case  conference  committee.  The  commit- 
tee passes  only  upon  cases  for  which  the  investigation  division  thinks 
court  action  is  needed  and  upon  cases  which  the  Juvenile  Protective 
Association  or  the  Jewish  agencies  wish  to  bring  into  court.  It  is  not 
concerned  with  the  large  number  of  cases  that  the  investigation  divi- 
sion, on  its  own  authority,  decides  should  not  be  brought  into  court. 
In  this  respect  the  work  of  the  committee  differs  from  that  of  a  simi- 
lar committee  of  the  aid-to-mothers  department,^'  which  passes  judg- 
ment on  all  cases  investigated  by  that  department.  After  assuring 
itself  that  the  investigation  has  been  thorough — that  is,  that  all  neces- 
sary facts  have  been  secured  and  that  they  are  in  convincing  form— 
the  committee  proceeds  to  consider  whether  the  case  necessitates  court 
action.  One  principle  is  always  kept  in  mind,  namely,  that  children 
are  to  remain  in  their  homes  if  possible.  A  strong  reason  for  removal 
must  exist  if  the  committee  is  to  recommend  placing  children  in  in- 
stitutions or  in  homes  other  than  their  own. 

Cases  necessitating  removal  of  children  from  their  homes  tend  to 
fall  into  two  classes:  (1)  Those  in  which  the  parent  or  guardian  is 
unable  or  unwilling  to  provide  maintenance  and  care  for  the  child ; 
(2)  those  in  which  the  parents  or  guardians  are  mentally  or  morally 
unfit  to  provide  proper  care.  In  considering  cases  of  the  first  type 
the  committee  goes  carefuly  into  the  income  and  resources  of  the 
family.  There  is  no  disposition  to  make  it  easy  for  the  parent  or 
guardian  to  shift  the  burden  of  support  to  the  county  and,  ordinarily, 
even  when  there  seems  no  alternative  to  institutional  care  for  the  chil- 
dren, the  case  will  not  be  brought  into  court  if  the  committee  consid- 
ers the  family  able  to  pay  for  that  care.  Sometimes,  however,  even  if 
a  parent  is  able  to  pay  for  a  child  in  an  institution,  the  case  has  to  be 
brought  into  court  because  the  institutions  prefer  the  security  of  an 
order  for  payment  made  through  the  court  to  the  uncertainty  of  a 
private  agreement.  If  court  action  is  recommended  because  of  the 
parents'  neglect,  the  committee  makes  sure  that  the  neglect  is  of  an 
obvious  and  unmistakable  kind.  For  instance,  the  committee  refused 
to  recommend  filing  a  petition  in  the  case  of  a  family  complained  of 
because  the  11-year-old  girl  was  overworked  and  undernourished.  It 
was  decided,  however,  to  carry  the  case  as  a  supervised  complaint  so 
that  the  committee  might  be  assured  that  the  parents  were  living  up 
to  the  promises  they  made  with  regard  to  the  girl's  diet.  If  the  moral 
character  of  the  parents  is  in  question,  the  evidence  must  be  of  a  kind 
that  would  be  admitted  in  a  regular  criminal  court,  and  not  mere 
opinion  or  hearsay. 

Whenever  the  filing  of  a  petition  is  decided  upon,  a  recommenda- 
tion for  disposition  of  the  case  is  also  prepared,  so  that  the  case 

3  See  p.  42  of  this  report. 


PRELIMINARY  PROCEDURE.  39 

usually  comes  to  the  judge  with  a  specific  suggestion  for  action.  If 
commitment  to  an  institution  is  recommended,  the  officer  in  charge 
of  the  work  with  institutions  makes  sure  by  preliminary  inquiry  that 
there  is  a  vacancy  in  the  selected  institution.  Usually  the  judge 
accepts  these  recommendations  and  takes  advantage  of  these  arrange- 
ments. 

Delinquent  girls. 

Cases  of  delinquent  girls  come  to  the  attention  of  the  court  either 
through  some  "  reputable  citizen  "  who  makes  a  complaint  to  the 
court,  as  in  the  case  of  dependent  children,  or  through  the  police  to 
whom  complaints  are  frequently  made  or  who  arrest  girls  under 
various  circumstances.  In  any  case  the  investigation  is  made  by  the 
investigation  division  with  the  difference  that  in  cases  reported  di- 
rectly to  the  court  the  investigation  is  made  before  the  petition  is 
filed  and  an  attempt  is  made  to  adjust  the  case  without  court  action; 
whereas  in  the  cases  reported  to  the  police  the  police  probation  officer 
files  the  petition,  and  the  real  investigation  is  made  often  after  the 
first  hearing.  This  means  that  it  is  impossible  to  spare  the  girl  the 
necessity  of  appearing  in  court  or  the  stigma  of  a  delinquency 
record.* 

The  investigation  is  usually  made  by  the  officer  in  the  family-super- 
vision division  in  whose  district  the  girl  lives.  The  officer  reports  to 
the  head  of  the  investigation  division  and  is  under  her  supervision. 
The  type  of  investigation  made  is  similar  to  that  in  the  cases  of  de- 
pendent children.  It  is  concerned  primarily  with  the  circumstances 
of  the  offense  and  the  character  of  the  girl  herself,  but  also  covers  the 
family  situation.  The  methods  used,  with  some  minor  exceptions, 
are  the  same  as  those  used  in  dependency  cases.  The  rule  that  school 
records  are  to  be  obtained  when  the  girl  is  in  school  is  more  rigidly 
enforced  than  in  dependency  cases.  The  petition  may  be  filed  with 
the  sanction  of  the  head  of  the  investigation  division  without  con- 
sultation with  any  committee  corresponding  to  the  dependent-case- 
conference  committee. 

Delinquent  boys. 

Cases  of  delinquent  boys  come  to  the  attention  of  the  court  in  the 
same  way  as  cases  of  delinquent  girls — that  is,  either  by  direct  com- 
plaint to  the  court  or  through  the  police ;  but  by  far  the  larger  num- 
ber come  through  the  police.     If  the  case  is  reported  to  the  court,  the 

*  This  system  of  investigating  cases  of  delinquent  girls  is  of  recent  origin.  Prior  to 
1919  all  cases  reported  to  tbe  police  were  investigated  by  the  police  probation  officers. 
In  1919  three  policewomen  were  assigned  to  the  court  to  investigate  these  cases.  They 
worked  under  double  supervision,  that  of  the  police  department  and  of  the  head  of  the 
investigation  division.  In  1920  the  policewomen  were  removed  and  the  present  method 
adopted. 


40  THE   CHICAGO   JUVENILE   COURT. 

investigation  is  made  by  an  officer  in  the  delinquent  boys'  division 
under  the  direct  supervision  of  the  head  of  the  investigation  division. 
The  reason  for  having  this  work  done  by  the  officers  in  the  delinquent 
boys'  division  is  not  only  that  the  officers  in  the  investigation  division 
have  not  time  to  investigate  all  cases,  but  also  that  the  officers  in  the 
delinquent  boys'  division  are  men,  and  the  advantages  of  having  men 
for  the  work  with  delinquent  boys  is  thought  to  compensate  for  the  dis- 
advantages coming  from  divided  authority  and  lack  of  specialization 
in  the  one  field.^  This  investigation,  too,  follows  the  lines  described 
in  connection  with  investigation  of  dependency.  It  is  an  investiga- 
tion of  the  family  situation  by  the  methods  familiar  to  case-work 
agencies,  as  well  as  an  investigation  of  the  truth  of  the  particular 
complaint. 

Police  probation  officers'  investigation. 

Most  of  the  delinquent  boys'  cases,  however,  as  already  stated, 
are  reported  to  the  police;  and  in  these  cases  the  police  probation 
officers  make  their  own  investigations  and  file  their  own  petitions 
without  consulting  any  other  department  of  the  court.  The  police 
officers  work  under  the  direction  of  one  of  their  own  number,  desig- 
nated as  the  officer  in  charge  of  the  police  probation  officers.  Except 
in  those  cases  in  which  the  boy  is  held  in  custody  in  the  detention 
home,  they  are  not  required  to  report  to  this  officer  the  steps  taken 
in  the  investigation  or  the  decision  reached  as  to  treatment.  In 
these  cases  a  report  of  the  reason  for  detention  and  of  the  plan  for 
action  is  required.  The  officer  in  charge  of  police  probation  officers 
makes  a  monthly  report  to  the  chief  probation  officer,  giving  the 
number  of  cases  handled  by  each  officer  and  their  disposition.  He 
does  not  report  on  individual  cases.  There  are  no  rules  governing 
the  process  of  investigation,  and  each  officer  is  free  to  carry  on  the 
investigation  of  each  case  as  he  sees  fit.  He  may  secure  the  informa- 
tion he  desires  by  visiting  the  home  or  by  calling  the  boy  or  his 
parents  into  the  police  station.  In  general,  there  is  no  attempt  to 
make  a  social  investigation  such  as  that  made  by  the  investigating 
division,  but  the  inquiry  is  limited  to  ascertaining  the  truth  or  falsity 
of  the  complaint.  Many  of  the  officers,  however,  have  worked  for 
several  years  in  their  districts,  know  many  of  the  families,  and  take 
cognizance  of  particularly  bad  family  situations. 

The  police  probation  officers  do  not  clear  cases  with  the  confi- 
dential exchange  and  make  no  effort  to  secure  previous  social  records 
of  the  family.     Each  officer,  it  is  true,  keeps  a  record  of  all  com- 

5  At  one  time  a  man  officer  was  assigned  to  tlie  investigation  division  for  full-time  work 
and  was  given  the  more  difficult  boys'  cases  to  investigate.  This  arrangement  was  very 
satisfactory  to  the  head  of  the  division,  but  because  of  difficulty  in  securing  efficient  men 
for  the  delinquent  boys'  division,  he  was  transferred  to  that  division. 


PRELIMINARY   PROCEDURE.  41 

plaints  that  he  has  handled,  from  which  it  is  possible  to  discover 
whether  a  complaint  has  been  previously  made  concerning  a  particu- 
lar boy,  but  in  practice  the  officer  usually  relies  on  his  memory 
rather  than  on  his  record.  No  attempt  is  made,  moreover,  to  use  the 
files  of  the  court  for  purposes  of  clearing.  A  minor  offense  of  a 
child  already  on  probation  is  frequently  dealt  with  by  police  proba- 
tion officers  without  consulting  the  officer  of  the  delinquent  boys' 
division  who  has  the  boy  under  his  care  and  is  responsible  for  his 
conduct  while  on  probation.  After  the  complaint  has  been  disposed 
of  in  such  a  case  the  police  officer  usually  reports  the  facts  informally 
to  the  head  of  the  delinquent  boys'  di^dsion,  who  makes  a  memo- 
randum of  the  matter  and  gives  it  to  the  officer  on  the  case. 

Even  when  the  police  probation  officer  decides  to  bring  into  court 
for  rehearing  a  case  already  on  probation,  he  makes  no  special  effort 
to  notify  the  boy's  probation  officer,  and  it  is  sometimes  quite  by 
chance  that  the  officer  learns  of  the  difficulty.*^ 

The  aim  of  the  police  probation  officers,  as  of  the  juvenile-court 
probation  officers,  is  to  settle  cases  out  of  court  if  possible ;  and  the 
great  majority  of  cases  are  so  settled— 14,500  out  of  16,995  complaints 
received  by  police  probation  officers  in  1919.^  While  there  are  no 
rigid  rules  determining  which  cases  should  be  settled  without  court 
action  and  which  are  to  be  brought  before  the  court,  in  general  the 
officers  try  to  settle  the  less  serious  complaints,  and  particularly 
those  involving  first  offenders. 

No  established  method  of  adjusting  cases  out  of  court  has  been 
developed,  but  in  some  precincts  the  custom  has  grown  up  of  holding 
a  conference  with  boys,  parents,  and  complainant  at  the  police  sta- 
tion in  the  precinct.  Because  of  the  desire  not  to  interfere  with  the 
boys'  school  work  the  conferences  are  usually  held  on  Saturday 
mornings,  and  in  some  precincts  a  number  of  cases  are  settled  at 
this  time.  It  is  obvious  that  these  hearings  may  be  the  source  of 
very  real  confusion  on  the  part  of  both  boy  and  parents  as  to  where 
the  authority  over  children  has  been  lodged. 

Other  investigations. 

The  investigation  of  applications  for  pensions  under  the  aid-to- 
mothers  law  is  conducted  by  the  officers  of  the  aid-to-mothers  di- 
vision. The  process  has  been  described  in  a  study  of  mothers'  pen- 
sions in  Illinois.^  It  is  in  general  the  investigation  of  a  relief  society, 
with  more  rigid  rules  than  are  common  as  to  verification  from  official 
records  of  facts  relating  to  the  death  or  incapacity  of  the  father, 

"  Seo  p.  75,  case  Edward  0. 

'Charity  Service  Reporte,  Cook  County,  III.,  1919,  p.  287. 

«  Abbott,  Edith,  and  Breckinridge,  S.  P.  :  "  Administration  of  tlic  Airt-to-Mothers  Law 
in  Illinois."     Children's  Bureau,  Publication  No.  82,   Washington.   1921, 

SS005°— 22 4 


42  THE   CHICAGO   JUVENILE   COURT. 

the  amount  and  expenditure  of  insurance,  the  marriage  of  the  parents, 
and  the  ages  of  the  children.  All  applications  are  passed  upon  by  a 
conference  committee  consisting  of  the  chief  probation  officer,  the 
head  of  the  aid  to  mothers  division,  and  the  county  agent  or  his 
representative.  Only  those  cases  which  the  committee  recommends 
for  a  pension  go  before  the  court,  unless  the  applicant  is  dissatisfied 
with  the  action  of  the  division  and  gets  some  reputable  citizen  other 
than  herself  to  file  another  petition. 

The  investigations  of  cases  of  truant  children  are  made  by  the  com- 
pulsory-education department  of  the  city  of  Chicago,  and  petitions 
are  filed  by  officers  of  that  department.  The  juvenile  court  has  no 
other  connection  with  this  work  and  no  other  control  over  it  than  to 
determine  whether  or  not  the  child  shall  be  committed  to  an  appro- 
priate parental  school. 

Feeble-minded  children  over  whom  the  court  has  jurisdiction  are 
brought  to  its  attention  because  they  are  dependent  or  delinquent 
children.  In  cases  investigated  by  the  court  officers  the  fact  of  feeble- 
mindedness is  usually  discovered  in  the  process  of  investigation  by 
means  of  the  mental  examination  described  below,  and  a  "  petition  in 
the  matter  of  a  feeble-minded  person  "  is  filed  as  the  original  petition. 
In  cases  investigated  by  the  police  officers  or  in  those  cases  in  which 
the  petition  is  filed  before  investigation  the  original  petition  has  to 
be  dismissed  and  the  case  continued  for  a  petition  in  the  matter  of  a 
feeble-minded  person. 

Although  adoption  cases  are  outside  the  jurisdiction  of  the  juvenile 
court  as  such,  investigations  are  made  by  the  investigation  division  of 
the  court,  and  its  reconmiendations  are  reported  to  the  appropriate 
court. 

ADJUSTMENT  OF  CASES  WITHOUT  COURT  ACTION. 

Frequent  reference  has  been  made  to  the  efforts  of  the  officers  to 
reduce  the  number  of  cases  brought  to  court — that  is,  to  settle  as  many 
cases  as  possible  without  formal  court  action.  Questions  arise  as  to 
why  this  is  desirable  and  what  happens  to  the  children  in  such  cases. 
It  is  argued  that  if  a  condition  exists  that  warrants  complaint  by  a 
"  reputable  citizen "  it  is  surely  the  duty  of  the  court  to  make  the 
adjustment,  no  matter  how  slight  the  trouble,  and  to  see  to  it  that 
there  is  no  cause  for  further  complaint.  The  officers  of  the  court 
reply  that  court  action  should  be  avoided  for  a  number  of  reasons. 
First  and  foremost  is  the  wish  to  spare  the  child  a  court  record,  for 
the  trial  of  dependent  and  delinquent  cases  in  the  same  court  has 
resulted  in  attaching  a  stigma  even  to  dependency  proceedings.  In 
the  second  place,  the  moral  effect  of  a  voluntary  arrangement  is 
thought  to  be  happier  than  that  produced  by  the  order  of  the  judge, 
and  even  if  that  order  is  with  the  consent  of  the  parents,  the  flexibility 


PRELIMINARY   PROCEDURE. 


43 


of  an  informal  disposition  is  often  to  be  preferred  to  the  rigidity  of  a 
court  order.  In  the  third  place,  it  is  imperative  that  the  overburdened 
judge  shall  not  waste  his  time  and  energy  on  unnecessary  cases.  A 
fourth  consideration  is  the  saving  of  taxpayers'  money ;  every  case 
heard  in  court  involves  a  certain  expense.  Adequate  investigation  of 
complaints  of  dependent  cases,  moreover,  often  uncovers  several  pos- 
sible sources  of  aid  and  support  that  can  be  resorted  to  without  court 
action. 

The  number  of  complaints  adjusted  out  of  court  by  the  investiga- 
tion division  and  the  police  probation  officers  is  shown  in  Tables  V 
and  VI.  The  statistics  presented  by  the  investigation  division  are 
for  family  complaints,  and,  as  stated  in  the  report,  the  figures  must 
be  multiplied  by  three  or  four  to  give  the  number  of  cases  represented. 
The  police  probation  officers'  figures,  on  the  other  hand,  are  for  chil- 
dren or  individual  cases,  and  therefore  appear  to  be  very  much  more 
numerous.  The  proportion  adjusted  without  court  action  is  some- 
what larger  in  the  case  of  the  police  probation  officers  than  of  the 
investigation  division. 

Table  V. — Disposition ;  complaints  investigated  hy  police  probation  officers,  year 
ending  Dec.  31,  1919} 


Disposition. 

Complaints. 

Number. 

Per  cent 
distribu- 
tion. 

Total 

IG,  995 

Brought  into  court 

2, 495 
14, 500 

14  7 

85.3 

1  Charity  Service  Reports,  Cook  County,  Ul.,  1919,  p.  287.  Figures  for  1920  are: 
Brought  into  court,  2,1.32  ;  adjusted  without  court  action,  14, .316.  Figures  for  1921 
Brought  into  court,  1,960;  adjusted  without  court  action,  13,641. 


Table  VI. — Disposition :  complaints  investigated  by  the  investigation   division, 
year  ending  Nov.  30,  1919} 


Complaints. 

Disposition 

Number. 

Per  cent 
distribu- 
tion. 

Total 

2, 914 

100.0 

Brought  into  court 

679 
1,075 

254 
649 
257 

23  3 

Adjusted  satisfactorily  without  court  action 

36  9 

Found  not  to  come  under  juvenile  court  jurisdiction.      . 

22.3 

Pending  at  close  of  year. .  .. 

8  8 

'  Charity  Service  Reports,  Cook   Countv, 
complaints  ;  in  1921,  3,280. 


111.,   1919,  p.  287.      In   1920  there  were   2,556 


The  annual  report  from  which  these  tables  were  compiled  gives  no 
explanation  of  the  categories  used  by  the  investigation  division  in 


44  THE   CHICAGO   JUVENH^E    COURT. 

classifying  its  disposition  of  cases.  The  terms  are  difficult  to  define, 
for  one  group  is  not  clearly  distinguished  from  another.  Further- 
more, the  classification  of  cases  under  them  will  always  be  a  matter 
of  individual  judgment.  The  head  of  the  division  explains  the 
classification  as  follows:  Cases  "not  under  the  court's  jurisdiction" 
are  those  which,  after  slight  investigation,  prove  to  belong  to  other 
agencies.  They  can  not  be  eliminated  without  some  investigation 
because  either  the  complainant  is  not  in  possession  of  all  the  facts  in 
the  case  or  he  is  not  candid  in  his  statements.  Cases  "  satisfactorily 
adjusted"  are  those  in  which  after  more  or  less  effort  the  officer  has 
been  able  to  remedy  the  difficulty  complained  of;  and  "  cases  adjusted, 
but  not  satisfactorily"  are  those  in  which  a  difficulty  is  felt  to  be 
latent,  although  a  slight  temporary  improvement  has  been  effected  in 
the  situation,  and  court  action  is  at  any  rate  postponed.  It  should  be 
noted  that  254  cases,  or  about  9  per  cent  of  those  investigated  by  the 
officers  of  the  investigation  division  in  1919,  were  considered  to  be  of 
this  nature. 

In  the  case  of  delinquent  boys  brought  before  the  police  probation 
officers  in  the  precinct  police  stations,  although  a  large  number  of  ad- 
justments are  made  without  court  action,  no  attempt  is  made  to  follow 
up  the  case  with  any  supervision.  In  cases  handled  by  the  investiga- 
tion division,  however,  not  only  is  a  more  prolonged  effort  made  to 
discover  what  can  be  done  in  the  case,  but  in  some  cases  what  amounts 
to  probation  work  without  formal  court  order  is  done.  Cases  treated 
in  this  way  are  known  as  "  supervised  complaints." 

No  statistical  study  of  the  treatment  of  cases  by  the  investigation 
division  has  ever  been  made  and  a  detailed  study  would  be  beyond  the 
scope  of  this  inquiry.  A  reading  of  some  25  cases  at  random,  how- 
ever, reveals  certain  common  types  of  service  that  the  officers  of  the 
investigation  division  often  render.  One  of  the  most  frequent  com- 
plaints comes  from  a  man  who  through  the  death  or  illness  of  his  wife 
is  left  with  a  family  of  small  children  for  whom  he  is  unable  to  care,  but 
for  whose  support  he  can  afford  to  pay.  He  needs  expert  advice,  and 
this  he  receives  from  the  probation  officer.  Perhaps  she  merely  assists 
him  in  placing  his  children  with  relatives,  or  she  may  consult  a  child- 
placing  agency  that  makes  a  specialty  of  such  work.  In  the  course  of 
the  investigation  as  to  whether  the  case  lies  within  the  court's  juris- 
diction a  permanent  settlement  may  be  reached.  In  maldng  arrange- 
ments with  relatives,  the  home  is  investigated  chiefly  with  reference  to 
the  financial  status  and  moral  character  of  the  relatives.  The  investi- 
gation is  not  as  searching  as  that  made  by  regular  child-placing 
agencies.  In  general,  where  the  situation  is  one  of  dependency  due  to 
poverty  alone  without  the  elements  of  neglect  or  degradation,  the 
officers  make  the  adjustment  without  court  action,  provided  county 


PRELIMINARY    PROCEDURE.  45 

support  is  not  needed  and  the  child  has  a  legal  guardian  to  assume 
responsibility  for  the  arrangement. 

Cases  involving  neglect  or  unfitness  on  the  part  of  the  parents  or 
custodians  of  the  child  are  more  difficult  than  those  presenting  the 
problem  of  destitution.  Here  the  effort  of  the  officer  must  be  to  effect 
some  permanent  change  in  the  conduct  of  those  in  charge  of  the  child. 
Her  weapon  is  moral  suasion,  backed  by  the  potential  authority  of  the 
court. 

A  successful  example  of  this  kind  of  activity  occurred  in  the  case  of  an  un- 
naarried  mother,  who,  after  her  confinement,  wished  to  place  her  baby  out  for 
adoption  and  be  free.  The  officer  gained  her  confidence,  persuaded  her  to  take  a 
week  to  think  matters  over,  adjusted  difficulties  with  former  employers,  induced 
Iier  to  keep  the  child,  helped  her  to  recover  a  sum  of  money  from  the  father  in 
the  court  of  domestic  relations,  and  left  her  in  the  care  of  an  agency  that 
specializes  in  finding  work  for  women  in  her  situation. 

Usually  the  adjustment  does  not  come  so  quickly  and  easily. 
Where  prolonged  effort  on  the  part  of  the  officer  is  required,  the 
case  is  carried  as  a  "supervised  complaint."  Here  the  work  is 
similar  to  that  of  the  probation  officers  of  the  family  supervision 
division,  the  only  difference  being  that  the  authority  of  the  court 
is  potential,  not  actual,  and  that  the  rules  for  work  are  more  flexible. 
While  no  regulations  exist  governing  the  length  of  time  during  which 
a  complaint  may  be  carried,  the  division  does  not  intend  to  allow  an 
unsatisfactory  situation  to  drag  on  for  a  long  time.  If  improve- 
ment is  not  evident,  steps  are  taken  toward  court  action. 

The  following  case  is  an  example  of  a  supervised  complaint : 

An  8-year-old  child  was  reported  as  being  cnielly  treated  by  a  stepmother. 
The  officer  verified  the  facts  by  careful  investigation,  brought  the  case  into 
the  court  of  .domestic  relations,  and  secured  a  verdict  placing  the  parents  on 
probation  under  an  adult  probation  officer.  The  action  of  that  court,  supple- 
mented by  frequent  visits  from  the  juvenile  probation  officer,  during  which 
good  advice  about  diet  and  sleeping  arrangements  were  given,  effected  a  change 
in  the  conduct  of  the  stepmother. 

Another  type  of  supervised  complaint  occurs  when  some  relief 
agency  feels  that  it  must  cease  giving  relief  unless  a  woman  whom 
it  has  been  helping  dismisses  a  boarder  with  whom  she  is  suspected 
of  having  immoral  relations.  The  relief  organization  has  no  au- 
thority to  force  her  to  comply  with  the  request.  The  juvenile  court 
officer,  however,  by  threatening  to  remove  the  children  by  court  ac- 
tion, can  sometimes  improve  the  conditions  and  will  continue  to 
supervise  the  family,  the  relief  society  agreeing  to  continue  its  assist- 
ance. 

The  supervised  complaint  ends  sometimes,  however,  in  formal  court 
action.  If  the  treatment  under  the  investigation  division  has  been 
all  that  might  have  been  accomplished  under  court  order,  nothing 


46  THE   CHICAGO    JUVENILE    COURT. 

has  been  lost,  but  occasionally  it  seems  to  be  a  matter  for  regret  that 
action  was  not  taken  sooner. 

Such  was  the  case,  for  instance,  of  a  15-year-old  boy  who  had  got  beyond 
his  mother's  conti'ol  and  was  continually  running  away  from  home.  His  case 
was  carried  for  sis  months  as  a  supervised  complaint  with  no  apparent  im- 
provement. Then  the  family  moved  without  notifying  the  officer  and  could 
not  be  located  until  the  mother,  seven  months  later,  reported  that  the  boy 
had  run  away  taking  all  the  money  she  had  in  the  house.  After  several  trials 
in  a  county  institution  and  on  parole,  it  was  necessary  to  commit  the  boy  to 
the  State  school  for  boys. 

Another  such  case  was  that  of  a  dependent  girl  of  14,  whose  mother  had  been 
dead  a  number  of  years.  The  case  had  once  been  in  court,  and  the  petition  dis- 
missed when  an  aunt  in  California  took  charge  of  her.  Several  months  later, 
however,  she  was  returned  to  Chicago,  and  complaint  was  made  to  the  court 
that  the  relatives  could  not  be  responsible  for  her  care.  For  a  year  the  case 
was  handled  as  a  complaint.  From  October  until  April  the  girl  lived  with  an 
aunt,  who  complained  of  her  unruliness.  From  April  until  August  she  was  left 
in  the  home  that  her  father  established  with  a  mentally  deficient  grandmother 
as  housekeeper,  the  father  working  at  night.  Then  the  father  gave  up  fehe 
attempt  to  keep  a  home,  and  from  August  until  October  the  girl  wandered  about 
from  one  home  to  another,  staying  with  friends  and  becoming  more  untruthful 
and  dishonest.  Part  of  the  time  she  was  working  in  a  department  store,  and 
later  on  as  a  telephone  operator.  Finally  she  became  definitely  immoral  and 
was  brought  into  court  on  a  delinquent  petition. 

The  above,  of  course,  are  isolated  cases,  and  it  is  not  intended  to 
imply  that  the  supervised  complaint  always  or  frequently  ends  in 
court  action.  Nor  is  it  certain  that  court  action  at  first  would  have 
been  any  more  successful  than  informal  supervision.  The  possibility 
always  exists,  however,  that  it  might  have  been  more  effective  if 
applied  promptly.  The  moral  effect  of  bringing  a  delinquent  boy 
before  the  judge  is  often  marked,  but,  on  the  other  hand,  a  distracted 
mother  who  appeals  to  the  court  to  control  an  unruly  child  may  be 
discouraged  by  the  long-drawn-out  process  of  the  supervised  com- 
plaint. 

PHYSICAL  AND   MENTAL  EXAMINATIONS. 

For  the  examination  of  the  child's  physical  and  mental  condition  by 
persons  competent  to  pass  judgment,  special  organization  is  of  course 
necessary. 

The  law  gives  the  court  no  specific  power  to  require  such  examina- 
tions. The  court  may,  however,  commit  a  child  in  need  of  medical 
care  to  a  hospital^  or  may  adjourn  proceedings  for  the  filing  of  a 
feeble-minded  petition,^"  and  presumably  it  has  authority  to  inquire 
into  the  facts  in  such  cases. 

As  in  the  case  of  payment  of  probation  officers  and  the  provision 
for  a  detention  home,  the  machinery  necessary   for  medical   and 

"Hurd's  Illinois  Revisod  Statutes,   1910,  ch.  23,  sec.  177b. 
^Mbid.,  sec.  341. 


PRELIMINARY   PROCEDURE.  47 

psychological  examinations  was  first  provided  by  private  philan- 
thropy. Medical  examination  was  begun  in  1902,  when  the  Children's 
Hospital  Society  furnished  a  trained  nurse  who  was  present  at  each 
session  of  the  court  and  secured  hospital  and  medical  care  for  every 
child  committed  to  her  by  the  court.  In  1907  this  service  was  ex- 
tended by  the  society,  and  all  children  in  the  detention  home,  as  well 
as  all  others  whose  parents  would  consent,  were  given  a  general 
medical  examination.^^  The  work  thus  begun  by  private  funds  was 
taken  over  by  the  county  commissioners  in  1909.^^ 

At  the  present  time  a  physician  and  dentist  working  part  time  and 
three  nurses  working  full  time  are  paid  by  the  county  and  employed 
at  the  detention  home.  In  addition  a  woman  physician  employed 
by  the  city  examines  delinquent  girls  at  the  dispensary  maintained  in 
the  juvenile  court  rooms. 

All  children  brought  in  for  hearing,  with  the  exception  of  cases 
investigated  hj  police  probation  officers,  are  given  medical  examina- 
tions. Children  placed  in  the  detention  home  are  examined  there  by 
the  attending  physician.  Children  who  are  not  placed  in  the  deten- 
tion home  are  examined  at  the  court  by  the  same  physician. 

The  examination  at  the  court  includes  the  condition  of  the  skin, 
glands,  eyes,  ears,  nose,  throat,  teeth,  and  lungs.  In  the  case  of 
a  delinquent  girl,  when  immorality  is  suspected  and  if  the  parents 
consent,  a  vaginal  examination  is  also  made  by  the  woman  physician 
employed  by  the  city. 

Children  received  at  the  detention  home  are  immediately  taken 
to  the  dispensary,  where  a  graduate  nurse  records  temperature,  pulse, 
and  respiration,  and  takes  throat  cultures  and  vaginal  smears.  The 
children  are  then  isolated  until  the  next  morning,  when  the  attend- 
ing physician  makes  a  thorough  physical  examination.  The  report 
of  this  examination  and  any  recommendation  for  treatment  are  sent 
to  the  court  before  the  hearing. 

Psychological  and  psychopathic  examinations  were  first  given  in 
1909,  when  the  Juvenile  Psychopathic  Institute  was  established 
through  the  generosity  of  a  public-spirited  citizen.  The  institute  was 
organized  for  five  years  as  a  private  association  directed  by  Dr.  Wil- 
liam Healy  and  was  maintained  by  private  endowment,  though  all 
of  its  services  were  given  to  the  work  of  the  juvenile  court.  In 
1914  the  institute  was  taken  over  by  an  appropriation  of  the  board 
of  county  commissioners  as  a  regular  department  of  the  court.  It 
was  continued  under  county  auspices  until  1917,  when  the  director  ^^ 

"Charity  Service  Reports,  Cook  County,  Illinois,  1907,  p.  112. 

^-  Thurston,  H.  W.  :  "  Ten  years  of  the  juvenile  court  of  Chicago,"  in  The  Survey.  Vol. 
XXIII,  p.  663   (Feb.  5,  1910). 

'3  Dr.  Healy  resigned  in  1917  and  was  succeeded  by  Dr.  Herman  M.  Adler,  the  present 
director. 


48  THE    CHICAGO    JUVENILE    COURT. 

was  appointed  State  criminologist  under  the  Illinois  Department  of 
Public  Welfare.  Opportunity  thus  being  given  to  extend  the  work 
throughout  the  State,  the  Juvenile  Psychopathic  Institute  became  a 
State  organization  under  the  authority  of  this  department  and  im- 
mediately under  the  direction  of  the  State  criminologist.  Under 
this  plan  an  arrangement  for  cooperation  between  the  State  and  the 
county  has  been  made,  the  county  continuing  to  contribute  to  the 
expenses^*  of  the  institute  in  return  for  the  services  rendered  in 
examining  children  brought  before  the  juvenile  court.  In  1920, 
after  considerable  reorganization,  the  name  was  changed  to  the 
Institute  for  Juvenile  Research. 

Cases  are  referred  to  the  institute  by  individuals  and  by  social 
agencies,  as  well  as  by  officers  of  the  juvenile  court,  and  the  court 
has  ceased  to  have  any  control  over  its  work. 

It  has  never  been  possible  to  have  all  the  children  examined,  and 
the  problem  of  selecting  those  who  need  examination  has  not  been 
an  easy  one  for  persons  untrained  in  psychiatric  and  psj^chological 
work.  At  one  time  an  attempt  was  made  to  have  a  psychologist  at 
court  to  give  elimination  tests  to  all  children  brought  in  for  hear- 
ing; but  the  children  were  found  to  be  abnormally  nervous  and 
excited  by  the  court  hearing,  and  the  practice  was  abandoned.  At 
present  all  the  children  who  are  placed  in  the  detention  home  even 
for  a  day  are  given  brief  tests  designed  to  eliminate  those  who  are 
definitely  not  feeble-minded.  These  tests  are  given  by  the  teachei's 
in  the  detenti(5n-home  school  and  are  graded  by  the  two  psychologists 
employed  by  the  Institute  for  Juvenile  Research  and  stationed  at 
the  detention  home.  A  child  found  by  this  test  to  be  defective  is 
given  a  thorough  examination  by  the  psychologist;  and  if  any  ab- 
normality of  behavior  is  observed  he  is  also  given  a  psychiatric  ex- 
amination by  a  psychiatrist  either  at  the  detention  home  or  at  the 
office  of  the  Institute  for  Juvenile  Research.  A  diagnosis  of  the  case, 
together  with  a  recommendation  for  treatment,  is  reported  to  the 
court  at  the  hearing. 

"  The  county  pays  the  salary  of  one  psychologist  and  one  stenographer.  The  work  of 
these  persons  is  not,  however,  confined  stricUy  to  the  county. 


DETENTION. 
DETENTION  POLICY. 

The  juvenile  court  law  provides  that  "No  court  or  magistrate 
shall  commit  a  child  under  12  years  of  age  to  a  jail  or  police  station; 
but  if  such  child  is  unable  to  give  bail,  it  may  be  committed  to  the 
care  of  the  sheriff,  police  officer,  or  probation  officer  who  shall  keep 
such  child  in  some  suitable  place  provided  by  the  city  or  county  out- 
side of  the  enclosure  of  any  jail  or  police  station."^  The  building 
erected,  as  before  stated,-  under  the  amendment  of  1907  still  serves 
as  a  detention  home.  Wliile  children  of  12  or  more  do  not  come 
within  the  prohibition,  it  has  become  customary  for  both  the  juvenile 
court  and  the  police  to  use  the  detention  home  for  children  between 
12  and  17  or  18  as  well  as  for  the  younger  children.^ 

Many  children  awaiting  hearing  are  left  in  their  own  homes. 
Unless  the  home  is  detrimental  to  the  child  or  unless  there  is  reason 
to  fear  that  the  child  or  the  family  will  disappear  before  the  hear- 
ing, it  is  the  policy  of  the  juvenile  court  to  leave  the  child  in  his  own 
home  without  bond,  relying  upon  the  promise  of  the  parent  or 
guardian  to  produce  the  child  at  the  specified  time. 

In  practice  it  has  been  difficult  to  maintain  a  consistent  policy  of 
detention,  especially  with  regard  to  children  brought  into  court  by 
the  police  probation  officers.  It  is  difficult  to  obtain  the  figures  nec- 
essary to  determine  the  proportion  of  cases  held  in  the  detention 
home  among  all  those  brought  before  the  court.  The  chief  probation 
officer  in  his  annual  report  for  1918  stated  that  not  more  than  15  per 
cent  of  the  children  whose  cases  were  investigated  by  county  proba- 
tion officers  were  ever  taken  into  custody.*  Cases  investigated  in  this 
way,  however,  form  a  small  part  of  all  the  cases  before  the  court ; " 
hence,  it  is  the  practice  of  the  police  probation  officers  that  is  more 
important  in  this  respect,  but  no  statistics  are  available  showing  what 
proportion  of  children  brought  in  by  these  officers  are  placed  in  the 
detention  home. 

^Hurd's  Illinois  Revised  Statutes  1919,  ch.  23,  sec.  179. 

-  See  p.  9. 

^  See  p.  8  of  this  report. 

*  Charity  Service  Reports,  Cook  County,.  111.,  1918,  p.  208. 

*  In  1919  police  probation  officers  filed  2,495  petitions ;  the  investigation  divi.sion 
only  679. 


50  THE    CHICAGO   JUVENILE   COURT. 

NUMBER  OF  CHILDREN  CARED  FOR  IN  DETENTION  HOME. 

The  total  number  of  children  cared  for  in  the  detention  home  in 
each  year  for  the  two  years  1918  and  1919  is  shown  in  Table  VII. 

-Source,  hy  years;  cases  cared  for  in  the  juvenile  detention  home, 
1918-1919} 


Table  VII. 


Source. 

Cases  cared  for  in 
the  juvenile  de- 
tention home. 

1918 

1919 

Total 

4,636 

5,104 

139 
626 
2,648 
40 
53 
944 
84 
77 
25 

124 

694 

Police  probation  officers 

3,024 

11 

.Tiivenilfi  prmrt      ...                                                                                                                                . 

995 

Officers  of  institutions 

60 

97 

Children  n.slring  shelter. . 

11 

1  Figures  are  for  fiscal  years  en<ling  Nov.  80.  Charity  Service  Reports,  Cook  County,  111.. 
1918  and  1919.  For  1920,  4,861  cases  vi^ere  reported  as  cared  for  in  the  juvenile  deten- 
tion home. 

It  appears  from  Table  VII,  which  presents  the  number  of  entrances 
to  the  home  rather  than  the  number  of  children  cared  for,  that  chil- 
dren are  received  from  a  number  of  different  sources  besides  the 
police  probation  officers  who  bring  in  more  than  one-half  and  the 
county  probation  officers  who  bring  in  less  than  one-sixth  of  the 
children.  One  important  source  is  the  juvenile  court  itself.  That 
is,  children  are  not  only  brought  into  the  detention  home  by  proba- 
tion officers  to  await  hearing  but  are  returned  there  by  court  order 
after  hearing.  This  may  come  about  for  either  of  two  reasons :  The 
case  may  be  continued  and  conditions  may  be  unfavorable  for  the 
return  of  the  child  to  his  own  home,  or  a  delay  may  occur  in  carrying 
out  some  order  of  the  court.  The  order  may  be  for  the  commitment 
of  the  child  to  an  institution  in  which  there  is  no  vacancy.  Feeble- 
minded children  form  only  a  small  part  of  the  detention-home  popu- 
lation, but  such  children  are  frequently  detained  for  months  because 
of  the  crowded  condition  of  the  State  school  for  the  feeble-minded. 
Or  the  order  may  be  that  the  child  be  placed  in  a  family  home,  and 
it  may  require  considerable  time  to  complete  the  necessary  arrange- 
ments. 

Children  are  received  from  officers  of  institutions  either  after  es- 
cape from  the  institution,  or  when,  for  some  other  reason,  the  insti- 
tution finds  it  impossible  to  keep  them.  Children  returned  from  the 
hospital  are  those  whose  examination  on  entrance  to  the  home  showed 
the  need  of  special  treatment  or  those  who  became  seriously  ill  while 
detained.^ 

*  Thua  a  child  returned  by  the  court  or  by  a  hospital  may  be  counted  two  or  thi-ee 
times  during  a  .short  period  of  detention. 


DETENTION.  51 

The  average  length  of  stay  for  children  of  all  classes  was  8  days 
in  1917/  but  in  individual  cases  the  period  might  extend  to  25  or  30 
days.  The  average  daily  population  of  the  home  for  the  last  five 
years  has  ranged  from  105  to  123. 

The  number  of  delinquent  children  detained  in  1919  was  4,185; 
of  dependent  children,  919.^  The  number  of  delinquent  cases  heard  by 
the  court  in  that  year  was  3,402;  of  dependent  cases,  1,836. 

OVERCROWDING. 

More  important  than  the  total  number  of  children  detained  during 
the  year  is  the  number  of  children  in  the  home  at  any  one  time  in 
relation  to  the  facilities  for  caring  for  them.  This  problem  has  been 
before  the  officers  of  the  court  frequently  during  the  last  few  years 
Avhen  the  home  has  been  often  overcrowded,  and  it  has  been  neces- 
sary to  leave  children  in  unsatisfactory  surroundings  or  to  take  them 
to  police  stations. 

The  legal  relationsliip  between  the  court  and  the  detention  home  is 
noteworthy  in  this  connection.  The  court  itself  has  no  authority 
over  the  detention  home,  which  was  established  under  a  separate  act 
giving  the  board  of  county  commissioners  the  authority  to  establish 
and  maintain  a  place  where  children  could  be  kept  instead  of  being 
sent  to  jail.  The  institution  is  therefore  controlled  by  rules  and  regu- 
lations laid  down  by  the  board  of  county  commissioners,  and  neither 
the  judge  nor  the  probation  department  has  any  control  over  its 
management. 

That  this  division  of  authority  is  wasteful  has  been  recognized 
since  1912,  when  the  ITotchkiss  committee  after  its  investigation 
both  of  the  court  and  the  home  reported : 

The  real  supervision  over  the  home  as  over  the  probation  department  should 
rest  with  the  court  and  the  cooperation  between  court,  probation  department, 
and  home  should  at  all  times  be  full  and  complete.^ 

No  change  was  made,  however,  in  the  control  of  the  home,  and  in 
1918  the  situation  became  urgent.  The  boys'  quarters  were  particu- 
larly crowded.  Boys  constitute  70  per  cent  of  the  population  of  the 
home.  The  two  larger  wards,  for  delinquent  boys,  accommodate  60 ; 
but  they  often  housed  70  boys,  so  that  a  number  of  boys  were  without 
beds  and  some  slept  on  mattresses  on  the  floor,  others  on  beds  without 
mattresses.  The  same  overcrowding  occurred  in  the  dependent  boys' 
quarters,  which  were  intended  for  32  children  and  often  housed  from 
45  to  60  boys. 

In  order  to  learn  how  much  the  court  could  help  in  relieving  the 
congestion  of  the  home,  the  judge,  in  September,  1918,  assigned  an  as- 

'  Charity  Service  Reports.  Cook  Coimty,  111.,  1917,  p.  357. 
^  Ibid.,  1919,  p.  292. 

» Juvenile  Court  of  Cook  County,  111.  Report  of  a  Committee  Appointed  under  Reso 
lution  of  the  Board  of  Commissioners  of  Cook  County,  Chicago,  1912,  p.  45. 


52  THE    CHICAGO    JUVENILE    COURT. 

sistant  probation  officer  to  work  with  the  officers  of  the  detention 
home  in  investio-atinor  the  causes  of  overcrowding,  and  the  following 
analysis  was  submitted  to  the  court/"  attributing  the  conditions  of 
the  home  to  the  following  causes: 

1.  Delay  in  getting  cases  before  the  court  for  hearing  because  of  overcrowded 
calendar.  This  delay  is  ordinarily  about  7  days,  but  during  the  past  year  has 
been  as  much  as  25  or  30  days. 

2.  Lack  of  room  in  both  public  and  private  iustitutions  whicli  would  enable 
them  to  accept  children,  both  dependent  and  delinquent,  who  have  been  com- 
mitted by  the  court.  Children  committed  to  institutions  are  usually  held  at 
the  juvenile  detention  home  until  they  can  be  accepted  at  the  institution. 

3.  The  detention  of  children  who  have  normal  homes  in  which  they  might  re- 
main pending  a  hearing  in  the  juvenile  court.  A  constant  effort  is  made  to  keep 
children  in  the  custody  of  their  parents  pending  hearing.  There  is  a  surpris- 
ingly large  number  of  children  who  will  not  agree  to  stay  at  home  until  their 
cases  are  reached  and  a  larger  number  of  children  whose  parents  refuse  to  ac- 
cept responsibility  for  the  child's  appearance  in  court. 

4.  Unusual  cases,  including  lost  children,  children  who  have  run  away  from 
their  homes  in  other  States  and  in  whose  cases  correspondence  is  necessary,  and 
children  whose  cases  are  continued  at  the  juvenile  court  for  sufficient  reason 
and  who  must  be  detained. 

So  far  as  the  congestion  in  the  home  was  due  to  a  crowded  court 
calendar  or  to  overfilled  institutions,  the  juvenile  court  was  powerless 
to  effect  a  remedy.  Other  aspects  of  the  problem  could,  however,  be 
dealt  with,  and  as  a  result  of  this  report  certain  restrictions  were 
placed  upon  the  freedom  of  probation  officers  to  place  children  in  the 
home.  A  rule  was  made  that  no  child  should  be  admitted  to  the 
home  without  the  approval  of  the  chief  probation  officer  or  of  the 
officer  in  charge  of  police  probation  officers.  An  officer  is  thus  no 
longer  free  to  take  any  child  to  the  home  on  his  own  responsibility, 
but  must  first  show  his  supervising  officer  why  it  is  not  safe  for  the 
child  to  stay  in  his  own  home.  In  practice  it  has  been  necessary  to 
modify  this  rule  somewhat,  owing  to  the  fact  that  children  are  some- 
times picked  up  at  night  and  that  emergencies  arise  making  it  neces- 
sary to  act  without  waiting  to  secure  approval.  At  present  it  is, 
therefore,  customary  for  the  police  probation  officer  to  take  the  chil- 
dren to  the  home  and  to  report  the  matter  at  once  to  their  supervising 
officer,  who  looks  into  the  facts  and  releases  the  child  if  such  action 
seems  advisable. 

This  new  ruling,  it  seems,  has  had  the  desired  result,  for  in  his  re- 
port for  1919  the  chief  probation  officer  said : 

One  of  the  outstanding  things  of  the  year  is  the  successful  operation  of  a  plan 
by  which  the  judge  places  in  the  chief  probation  officer  and  the  officer  in  charge 
of  police  probation  officers  the  responsibility  for  the  detention  or  release  of  any 
child  held  in  the  juvenile  detention  home  pending  a  hearing. 

Parents  are  encouraged  to  take  children  home  pending  investigation  and  hear- 
ing, when,  in  the  judgment  of  the  chief  probation  officer  and  the  aforementioned 

10  Charity  Service  Reports,,  Cook  County,  HI.,  1918,  p.  209. 


DETENTION.  53 

officer  in  charge,  the  public  welfare  will  not  be  jeopardized  by  the  child's  release. 
All  idea  of  using  the  juvenile  detention  home  as  a  place  where  the  child  may  be 
held  by  way  of  punishment  while  awaiting  trial  is  done  away  with.  The  net 
result  has  been  a  quicker  movement  of  the  population  of  the  home,  so  that  at  no 
time  during  the  year  was  it  necessary  to  refuse  to  admit  children  because  of 
overcrowding.  This  condition  is  in  striking  contrast  to  the  three  previous  years 
during  which  the  juvenile  detention  home  was  crowded  practically  all  the  time 
and  children  were  held  in  police  stations  because  of  lack  of  room  in  the  home.^i 
The  reduction  in  overcrowding  has  meant  that  it  is  no  longer  neces- 
sary to  hold  children  in  police  stations  because  they  can  not  be  ad- 
mitted to  the  detention  home,  a  condition  to  which  the  chief  probation 
officer  had  called  attention  in  his  reports  for  1916,  191T,  and  1918. 
It  has  not  entirely  eliminated  detention  at  police  stations,  however, 
since  a  police  probation  officer,  with  the  consent  of  his  supervising 
officers,  occasionally  detains  a  boy  in  the  police  station  if  the  deten- 
tion home  refuses  to  receive  him  because  he  has  previously  escaped  or 
proved  unmanageable.^^  More  rarely  the  police  officer  keeps  a  boy 
in  the  police  station  if  from  his  knowledge  of  the  boy  he  thinks  there 
is  danger  that  he  will  escape  from  the  home.  No  figures  are  avail- 
able giving  the  number  of  children  held  in  police  stations  in  1919. 
The  chief  probation  officer,  however,  estimates  the  number  at  approxi- 
mately 25. 

EQUIPMENT  OF  THE  JUVENILE  DETENTION  HOME. 

The  present  equipment  of  the  juvenile  detention  home  is  not  of 
great  significance  in  view  of  the  fact  that  the  voters  of  Cook  County 
in  November,  1919,  approved  a  bond  issue  of  $1,000,000  for  the  erec- 
tion of  a  new  juvenile-court  and  detention-home  building.  The  erec- 
tion of  this  building  has  not  yet  begun,  however,  and  meantime  the 
p)resent  equipment  must  suffice. 

The  present  detention  home  is  a  three-story  brick  building,  erected 
in  1907.  It  occupies  three  sides  of  a  hollow  square  with  a  central 
quadrangular  court  and  an  annex  housing  the  detention-home  school. 
The  juvenile  detention  home  belongs  to  the  county;  the  school  be- 
longs to  the  city  and  is  under  the  authority  of  the  board  of  education 
and  under  the  direction  of  the  principal  of  the  public  school  nearest 
the  home. 

The  central  part  of  the  first  floor  of  the  main  building  is  occupied 
by  offices,  the  branch  office  of  the  Institute  for  Juvenile  Research, 
and  a  large  reception  room  in  which  the  children  see  their  parents. 
The  remainder  of  the  first  floor  is  devoted  to  the  boys'  and  girls' 
receiving  wards  and  isolation  rooms.  On  the  second  and  third  floors 
are  the  dormitories,  playrooms,  dining  rooms,  kitchen,  and  pantries. 

"  Charity  Service  Reports,  Cook  County,  111.,  1919,  p.  225. 

"The  authority  of  the  officers  of  the  detention  home  to  refuse  any  child  admittance 
reaains  absolute. 


54  THE   CHICAGO    JUVENILE   COURT. 

The  dormitories  and  receiving  and  isolation  rooms  are  equipped  with 
toilets  and  with  hot  and  cold  shower  baths. 

The  school  was  completed  in  1915.  It  is  a  two-story  brick  building 
connected  with  the  main  building  by  two  bridges,  one  leading  to  the 
girls'  section,  the  other  to  the  boys'  section.  On  the  first  floor  are 
five  classrooms,  a  manual-training  room,  and  a  gymnasium,  and  on 
the  second  floor,  two  large  dormitories,  a  manual-training  room,  a 
classroom,  a  sewing  room,  and  a  hospital. 

The  children  are  divided  into  five  groups,  each  with  a  separate 
dormitory  and  playroom.  In  general,  the  dependents  and  delin- 
quents are  separated,  but  the  smaller  boys  from  5  to  14  years  of  age 
are  kept  together.  This  group  includes  "  little  dependents,  truants, 
runaways,  and  trivial  first  offenders,"  who  have  a  dormitory  of  their 
own  with  20  beds,  a  separate  playroom,  individual  lockers,  toilets, 
and  2  shower  baths.  This  is  thought  to  be  very  much  better  than 
keeping  the  younger  delinquents  with  the  older  ones,  as  was  formerly 
done.  In  the  girls'  wing  one  dormitory  is  set  aside  for  dependents 
and  another  for  delinquents,  but  girls  of  all  degrees  of  delinquency 
are  kept  in  the  delinquent  department. 

A  graduate  nurse  is  on  duty  in  the  home  at  all  times  except  be- 
tween midnight  and  8  a.  m.  In  addition,  a  woman  is  in  attendance 
day  and  night  in  the  delinquent-girls  ward,  a  man  and  two  women 
in  the  dormitories  for  delinquent  boys,  and  two  women  in  the  de- 
pendent sections. 

RECEPTION   OF   CHILDREN. 

When  a  child  is  admitted  to  the  home,  important  facts  regarding 
the  case  are  recorded.  The  child  is  then  taken  to  the  graduate  nurse, 
who  records  temperature,  pulse,  and  respiration,  takes  a  throat  cul- 
ture, swabs  the  throat  with  an  antiseptic  solution,  and  administers 
a  grain  of  calomel,  followed  by  magnesimn  sulphate.  If  the  child 
is  a  girl,  an  examination  for  gonorrhea  is  made  as  a  protection  to 
the  otlier  inmates.  A  shampoo  and  antiseptic  bath  are  given,  and 
the  child  is  dressed  in  detention-home  clothes,  so  that  its  own  may  be 
sent  to  the  fumigator. 

The  house  physician  is  on  duty  every  morning  except  Sunday  and 
examines  each  child  who  has  been  admitted  during  the  previous  24 
hours.  The  doctor's  findings  and  recommendations  are  recorded  on 
a  card  which  accompanies  the  child  to  court  and  is  given  to  the 
judge,  who  advises  the  parents  if  the  child  needs  medical  care  and 
obtains  their  signature  if  they  consent  to  carry  out  the  recommenda- 
tions. 

As  a  precaution  against  the  spread  of  disease  all  children  are  kept 
in  the  receiving  wards  after  admission  to  the  home  until  the  re- 
sult of  the  doctor's  examination  and  the  throat  and  vaginal  cultures 


DETENTION. 


55 


is  known.  This  period  of  isolation  is  usually  from  24  to  48  hours. 
Most  medical  and  surgical  cases,  including  all  gonorrheal  infections 
and  cases  of  ringworm  of  the  scalp,  are  sent  to  the  county  hospital 
for  treatment.  Certain  contagious  diseases  and  some  kinds  of  eye, 
ear,  nose,  and  throat  trouble  are  treated  in  the  isolation  rooms  of  the 

home. 

As  a  precaution  against  the  spread  of  contagion  the  one  or  two 
days  that  the  children  are  kept  under  observation  in  the  receiving 
wards  are  inadequate.  The  incubation  period  of  acute  contagious 
disease  is  from  one  day  to  three  weeks,  but  owing  to  cramped  quar- 
ters, particularly  downstairs  in  the  receiving  wards,  the  children 
are  allowed  to  go  upstairs  as  soon  as  their  cultures  are  reported  on, 
providing  there  is  no  evidence  of  disease. 

The  attending  physicians  have  repeatedly  stressed  the  fact  that 
better  isolation  facilities  should  be  provided  for  sick  children.  In 
1917  the  home  had  within  its  walls  190  cases  of  acute  tonsilitis,  42 
of  pharyngitis,  45  of  impetigo,  68  of  venereal  disease,  22  of  ringworm, 
24  of  scabies,  3  of  trachoma,  as  well  as  a  few  very  severe  cases  of 
pediculosis  and  141  diphtheria  carriers,  all  demanding  rigid  quaran- 
tine.^' In  1918,  cases  of  sickness  among  its  inmates  numbered 
1,650."  Thus  the  request  for  a  separate  small  hospital  building  does 
not  seem  unreasonable. 

The  teeth  of  all  children  kept  in  the  home  over  48  hours  ar© 
examined,  except  in  the  cases  of  positive  throat  cultures.  A  record 
is  made  of  conditions  found  and  of  all  work  done.  So  far  as  pos- 
sible in  the  lunited  time  children  are  under  detention,  defects  are 
remedied,  and  the  children  are  taught  to  care  for  their  teeth.  The 
dentist's  services  are  provided  only  18  hours  a  week,  and  a  great 
deal  more  work  is  needed  than  can  be  accomplished  in  that  short 

^^^^'  THE  DAILY  ROUTINE. 

Much  of  the  work  in  their  own  sections  is  done  by  the  children 
themselves,  thus : 

The  delinquent  children  do  practically  all  of  the  work  in  their  own  depart- 
ments They  rise  at  5  a.  m.,  turn  back  their  bedding,  throw  the  windows  open, 
and  hes^in  their  daily  duties.  They  scrub  almost  their  entire  department  before 
breakfast,  which  is  at  6.45  a.  m.  Immediately  after  breakfast  they  clear  then- 
tables  wash  the  dishes,  and  tea  towels,  scrub  the  dining  room  and  make  their 
beds  '  \t  9  a.  m.,  when  the  work  is  usually  completed,  they  wash,  comb  their 
hair '  and  change  their  clothes,  ready  for  school  at  9.30  a.  m.  The  girls,  besides 
doing  the  work  in  their  own  section,  assist  in  the  preparation  of  the  vegetables 
and  wash  Uie  employees'  dishes.  They  also  scrub  the  dormitories  of  the  de- 
pendent section  and  assist  in  making  the  beds  of  that  department.  The  boys 
scrub  the  main  hall  of  the  dependent  section  and  the  kitchen.  If  at  any  time 
tiie  girls  are  under  quarantine,  the  boys  are  detailed  to  the  kitchen  work.i 

w  Charity  Service  Reports,  Cook  County,  111.,  1017.  p.  SIO. 

'*Ibid.,  1918,  p.  269. 

«  Cbarity  Service  Reports,  Cook  County,  HI.,  1915,.  p.  -67. 


56  THE    CHICAGO    JUVENILE    COURT. 

After  these  strenuous  hours  the  children  spend  from  &.30  to  12  and 
from  1.20  to  4  in  school.  Children  under  10  years  of  age  are  cared 
for  in  a  group  by  themselves,  and  their  Avork  is  informal  and  social. 
The  kindergarten  room  for  little  dependents  is  particularly  attrac- 
tive. Visiting  and  recreation  hours  are  from  4  to  5  p.  m.  and  from 
7  to  8  p.  m.  Parents  may  visit  the  children  during  these  hours  five 
days  a  week.  The  boys  play  outdoors  in  the  court  under  super- 
vision, but  the  girls  have  no  outdoor  recreation.  Time  hangs  heavy 
on  the  hands  of  the  children  under  observation  in  the  receiving 
rooms,  inasmuch  as  they  can  neither  go  to  school  nor  play  outdooi-s 
and  have  no  one  to  direct  their  play  in  the  house. 

The  children  are  entertained  every  Friday  evening  with  music, 
lectures,  stereopticon  views,  and  aesthetic  dancing,  and  a  special  en- 
tertainment is  always  provided  on  holidays.  Occasionally  the  down- 
town theaters  present  the  home  with  tickets  for  some  suitable  play. 
Religious  instruction  is  furnished  for  both  Catholic  and  Protestant 
children  by  outside  religious  organizations. 

Discipline  is  usually  left  to  the  nurses  in  charge.  Under  no  cir- 
cumstances is  corporal  punishment  resorted  to,  but  occasionally  when 
special  severity  seems  needed,  children  are  put  on  a  bread-and-milk 
diet  and  sometimes  they  are  placed  in  solitaiy  confinement  for  an 
hour  or  two  "  to  think  it  over." 

DIETARY. 

A  study  of  the  diet  made  in  1917  under  the  direction  of  a  member 
of  the  home  economics  department  of  the  University  of  Chicago, 
showed  the  diet  to  be  unsatisfactoi^y.  It  was  monotonous,  to  some 
extent  poorly  cooked,  some  foods  were  served  too  frequently,  and 
the  evening  meal  in  particular  was  not  sufficiently  satisfying.  A 
new  diet  was  then  agreed  upon  by  the  superintendent  and  the'dietitian 
making  the  study. 

CLOTHING. 

During  working  and  recreation  hours  the  girls  wear  blue  gingham 
dresses  and  the  boys  overalls  and  jumpers;  during  school  hours  the 
girls  wear  blue,  brown,  tan,  and  white  middies,  and  the  boys  khaki 
suits.  The  children  are  put  into  home  uniforms  so  that  their  own 
clothes  may  be  disinfected  and  cleaned,  or  possibly  destroyed.  A  ma- 
jority of  the  delinquent  boys  and  girls  enter  the  home  so  dirty  that 
their  clothing  has  to  be  destroyed  at  once ;  almost  all  the  dependent 
children  have  to  be  given  new  clothing  also.  Supplying  a  sufficient 
number  of  new  outfits  has  always  been  one  of  the  problems  of  the 
home. 


HEARINGS. 

SUMMONS. 

When  the  investigation  has  been  completed  and  a  date  set  for  the 
hearing,  a  summons  is  served  by  the  probation  officer,  requiring  the 
parent  or  guardian  to  be  in  court  with  the  child  on  the  appointed  day. 
Summons,  less  formal  than  a  warrant,  does  not  constitute  arrest,  but 
failure  to  obey  constitutes  contempt  of  court.^  For  most  cases  such 
info>milT  procedure""Ts  sufficient  to  bring  all  the  needed  persons  into 
court.  In  some  instances,  however,  it  is  necessary  to  issue  a  warrant 
for  arrest  served  by  the  sheriff.  Occasionally  the  hearing  of  a  case 
may  drag  on  for  a  considerable  period  of  time  because  of  failure  to 
compel  attendance. 

A  social  agency  complained  to  the  court  that  two  brothers,  S  and  !>  years  of 
age,  had  glandular  tuberculosis,  that  the  home  was  neglected  and  dirty,  and  that 
the  mother  was  mentally  defective  and  refused  to  take  the  children  to  the  dis- 
pensary for  treatment.  The  court  had  already  had  five  years'  experience  with 
the  family  because  of  one  delinquent  girl  and  one  delinquent  boy  and  had  re- 
moved three  other  children  from  the  home  as  dependents.  Four  children,  all 
under  10,  had  been  left  in  the  home.  It  is  somewhat  surprising,  therefore,  that 
the  case  of  these  two  children  who  had  never  been  in  court  before  was  allowed 
to  drag  on  for  six  months  before  there  was  a  real  hearing,  being  continued  six 
times  because  no  one  was  present.  No  mention  is  made  of  any  effort  to  secure 
the  cooperation  of  the  father.  The  following  brief  statements  indicate  the 
difficulties  encountered. 

November  24,  1919  :  First  hearing.     Mother  refused  to  come.     Case  continued. 

December  2,  1919 :  Second  hearing.  Mother  refused  to  come.  Probation 
officer  asked  for  a  warrant.     Case  continued. 

December  16,  1919:  Case  in  court.     No  hearing.     Continued. 

January  6,  1920:  Case  in  court.  No  hearing.  Warrant  never  served.  Case 
continued. 

January  19,  1920:  Case  in  court.  Probation  officer  reported  family  had 
moved  and  could  not  be  located.     Case  continued  generally. 

May  28,  1920:  Probation  officer  located  family  and  called  to  serve  summons. 
Mother  denied  that  children  were  living  with  her. 

May  11,  1920 :  Case  in  court.  No  one  present.  Warrants  issued.  Case  con- 
tinued. 

July  6,  1920 :  Seventh  hearing,  Children  and  brother-in-law  present.  Mother 
still  refused  to  come.     Case  continued. 

July  13,  1920:  Eighth  hearing.  Probation  officer  reported  that  married 
sister  and  her  husband  now  in  the  home  were  assuming  responsibility  for  the 
children  and  conditions  were  improved. 

July  26,  1920:  Case  continued  under  supervision. 

»  Kurd's  Illinois  Revised  Statutes,  1919,  ch.  23,  sec.  173. 

88005°— 22 5  57 


58  THE    CHICAGO    JUVENH^E    COURT. 

September  28,   1920:  Conditions   greatly   improved.     Placed  on  probation. 

That  is.  althougli  the  court  had  the  power  of  the  State  back  of  it,  it  found 
itself  unable  for  10  months  to  secure  the  presence  of  a  subnormal  mother. 
It  is  true  that  the  continued  effort  brought  the  married  sister  into  the  situa- 
tion; the  burden,  however,  was  certainly  not  one  that  could  be  borne  wholly 
by  her  and  her  husband,  but  rather  was  one  that  required  the  aid  of  the  com- 
munity agency  organized  supposedly  to  deal  with  such  situations. 

If  a  parent  or  o;iiardian  is  believed  to  have  left  the  State  or  if, 
after  reasonable  effort  he  can  not  be  located,  the  law  provides  for 
publication  of  the  case  "once"  in  "some  newspaper  of  general  cir- 
culation," requirino;  appearance  within  20  days."  Delay  is,  of  course, 
often  the  result  of  conforming  with  this  futile  requirement  of  the 
statute,  incident  to  such  publication,  especially  since  the  publication 
often  does  not  occur  until  after  the  case  has  already  been  brought 
into  court  for  hearing. 

TIME   AND   PLACE. 

The  general  equipment  of  the  court  has  slowly  expanded  as  the 
number  of  cases  has  increased.  During  the  early  days  of  the  court, 
hearings  were  held  only  two  afternoons  a  week  in  the  circuit  court 
room  of  the  old  courthouse.  By  1905  hearings  were  held  two  days  a 
week — dependent  children  in  the  morning  and  delinquent  children 
in  the  afternoon.^  From  60  to  80  cases  were  heard  each  day,  and 
as  all  cases  were  set  for  the  same  hour,  many  persons  were  kept  wait- 
ing for  the  hearing  in  which  they  were  interested.  In  that  year  the 
old  courthouse  was  torn  down,  and  the  juvenile  court  was  established 
in  a  room  over  a  store  on  a  busy  street.  In  1907,  when  the  juvenile 
court  building  was  erected,  a  small  court  room  and  several  waiting 
rooms  were  provided,  and  five  half-day  sessions  were  held.*  It  was 
not  until  September,  1910,  however,  when  the  judge  began  to  give 
his  full  time  to  the  juvenile  court,  that  more  frequent  sessions  were 
possible.'^  Since  that  time  sessions  have  been  held  both  morning 
and  afternoon,  five  days  a  week. 

To  insure  the  complete  separation  of  dependent  and  delinquent 
children  different  classes  of  cases  are  heard  at  different  sessions  of 
the  court.  The  schedule  of  the  court  at  the  time  the  investigation 
was  made  was  as  follows :  Three  mornings  a  week,  cases  of  depend- 
ent children;  four  afternoons,  cases  of  delinquent  boys;  one  morning, 
pension  cases  and  cases  of  feeble-minded  children;  and  one  morn- 
ing, truant  cases.  Conferences  on  cases  of  delinquent  girls  were 
heard  four  mornings  a  week  in  a  separate  room.     Facts  are  pre- 

^Hurd's  Illinois  RGvised  Statutes  T019.  ch.  2.",  sec.  173.  The  publication  is  often  in- 
serted in  the  "  Calumet,"  a  paper  of  5,000  circulation. 

■■'  Thurston,  II.  W.  :  "  Ten  years  of  the  juvenile  court,"  in  the  Survey,  Vol.  XVIII 
(Feb.  5,  1910),  p.  fiOl. 

*  Charity  Service  Reports,  Cook  County,   HI.,  1007,  p.  111. 
'  Ibid.,  1910,  p.  145. 


HEARINGS.  59 

sented  by  a  woman  officer  to  the  judge  in  the  regular  court  room,  who 
satisfies  himself  as  to  the  wisdom  of  the  recommendation  formulated 
by  the  woman  assistant  to  the  judge,  and  renders  a  decision  in  the 
case. 

Since  1913,  when  the  juvenile  court  building  became  too  crowded 
for  both  the  court  rooms  and  the  detention  home,  hearings  have  been 
conducted  in  a  building  erected  jointly  by  the  city  and  county,  con- 
taining all  municipal  and  county  courts  as  well  as  administrative 
departments.  It  is  located  in  the  midst  of  a  busy  downtown  district 
and,  except  for  its  central  location,  has  little  advantage  to  offer  as  a 
children's  court  building.  The  juvenile  court  occupies  a  part  of  one 
floor  and  consists  of  a  court  room,  a  small  room  in  which  girls'  cases 
are  heard,  a  waiting  room,  a  large  room  containing  desks  for  proba- 
tion officers,  the  dispensary,  a  record  room,  and  the  offices  of  the 
judge,  the  chief  probation  officer,  the  investigation  division,  the 
family-supervision  and  the  aid-to-mothers  division,  the  delinquent 
boys',  the  child-placing,  and  the  police  probation  divisions.  The 
new  building  which  is  to  be  erected  for  the  detention  home  will  also 
contain  all  juvenile  court  rooms  and  offices. 

Hearings,  except  those  of  cases  of  delinquent  girls,  are  public ;  but 
the  benches  on  which  both  witnesses  and  outsiders  sit  are  arranged  at 
the  back  of  the  room,  leaving  considerable  unoccupied  space  between 
them  and  the  judge,  and  the  hearings  are  conducted  in  such  a  way 
that  little  can  be  heard  except  by  persons  interested  in  the  case  or 
officially  connected  with  the  court. 

The  judge's  desk  is  not  on  a  raised  platform  but  is,  with  the  re- 
porter's desk  and  the  benches  for  the  jury,  separated  from  the  rest  of 
the  room  by  a  low  railing.  Only  the  w^idth  of  the  desk,  placed  di- 
rectly behind  the  railing,  separates  the  judge  from  the  child  whose 
case  is  being  heard. 

PROCEDURE. 

When  the  judge  comes  into  the  room,  court  is  opened  in  a  formal 
manner  by  the  bailiff.  The  clerk  then  calls  each  case  in  order,  and  the 
officer  who  has  made  the  investigation  comes  forward  with  the  child, 
his  parents  if  present,  and  witnesses.  They  group  themselves  around 
the  judge's  desk,  facing  him.  The  probation  officer  who  has  made  the 
investigation  or  filed  the  petition,  the  police  probation  officer  in  most 
of  the  delinquent  boys'  cases,  or  the  truant  officer  in  truancy  cases, 
makes  a  brief  statement  to  the  judge,  outlining  the  main  facts  in  the 
case,  and  then  stands  aside.  He  is,  of  course,  ready  to  give  further 
information  and  to  help  in  any  way  that  the  occasion  demands.  In 
general,  the  attitude  of  the  officer,  and  this  is  especially  true  of  the 
county  probation  officers,  is  that  of  an  impartial  friend  of  the  child 
and  the  family  and  distinctly  not  that  of  a  prosecuting  officer. 


N 


60  THE    CHICAGO    JUVENH^E   COURT. 

After  the  probation  officer's  statement  the  judge,  with  the  case 
record  of  the  family  before  him,  begins  his  questioning.  When  the 
case  is  that  of  a  delinquent  or  truant  boy,  he  usually  begins  with  the 
child,  sometimes  starting  with  the  concrete  charge  and  asking  him 
what  his  story  is,  what  his  reasons  were,  and  working  back  to  his  age, 
his  work,  what  he  does  with  his  leisure  time,  and  questions  of  a  more 
general  natiire.  In  other  instances  he  works  up  to  the  charge  more 
gradually.  If  the  boy  has  been  in  court  before,  the  judge  always  re- 
minds liim  of  it  and  of  what  happened  at  that  time.  Perhaps  the  most 
striking  thing  about  the  questioning  of  the  boy  compared  with  the 
examination  of  the  accused  in  criminal  courts  is  that  no  attempt  is 
made  to  induce  the  child  to  incriminate  himself,  none  of  the  questions 
are  designed  to  trap  him,  none  are  asked  whose  bearing  he  will  not  see. 
The  judge's  manner  is  friendly  but  never  to  the  point  of  seeming  to 
condone  the  offense,  and  when  the  occasion  calls  for  it,  he  may  become 
very  stern  and  severe.  Usually  the  questioning  of  the  child  is  followed 
by  questioning  of  the  parents.  After  this,  anyone  else  who  is  present 
is  given  an  opportunity  to  make  such  statement  as  he  may  desire.  The 
time  devoted  to  a  case  varies  from  a  few  minutes  in  simple  cases  to 
possibly  half  an  hour  in  cases  in  which  the  truth  is  difficult  to  establish. 
In  general  each  case  is  so  dealt  with  that  there  is  no  impression  of  per- 
functoriness  or  of  haste  in  dispatching  the  day's  work. 

Occasionally  the  boy  or  the  complainant  is  represented  by  an  attor- 
ney, and  this  usually  complicates  the  proceedings.  If  a  contest  over 
the  court's  action  arises,  the  case  is  postponed  and  heard  in  the  one 
week  of  the  month  devoted  to  contested  cases.  Frequently,  however, 
even  with  an  attorney  present  no  contest  is  involved,  and  the  case  is 
heard  in  the  regular  session.  Proceedings  in  contested  cases  are  some- 
what more  formal;  witnesses  are  sworn,  and  the  attorney  does  the 
greater  part  of  the  questioning  which  in  other  cases  is  done  by  the 
judge.  As  great  care,  however,  is  taken  to  discover  all  the  facts  and 
to  do  what  is  best  for  the  child  in  those  cases  in  which  neither  the 
child  nor  the  complainant  is  represented  by  an  attorney  as  when  one 
or  both  are  so  represented. 

CASES  OF  DEPENDENT   CHILDREN. 

The  procedure  in  cases  of  dependent  children  differs  slightly  from 
that  in  delinquencA^  cases.  In  the  first  place  a  jury  of  six  is  required 
by  the  laws  providing  for  commitments  to  manual-training  and  in- 
dustrial schools.''  Their  service  in  the  Cook  County  court  seems  to  be 
largely  perfunctory,  as  the  decision  is  arrived  at  by  the  judge  and 
submitted  to  the  jury  for  their  approval,  which  is  seldom  withheld. 
The  social  value  that  accrues  from  acquainting  six  men  who  sit  in 

«Hurd's  Illinois  Kevised  Statutes  1919,  ch.  122,  sees.  323  and  337. 


HEARINGS.  61 

court  for  two  weeks  with  the  problems  that  confront  the  youth  of  the 
city  and  with  the  policies  of  the  juvenile  court  is,  however,  very  great. 
A  second  difference  in  the  proceedings  is  caused  by  the  fact  that 
while  it  is  the  child  over  whom  the  court  has  jurisdiction,  it  is  the 
parents  who  are  directly  responsible  for  his  presence  in  court,  and 
it  is  really  the  parents  who  are  on  trial,  although  the  court  has  no 
jurisdiction  over  them.  It  is  natural,  therefore,  that  the  judge  should 
begin  his  questions  in  these  cases  with  the  parents  and  should  devote 
most  of  his  time  to  them.  Frequently  the  child  is  not  questioned  at  all 
except  to  establish  his  identity.  At  times  also,  when  the  facts  to  be 
brought  out  are  not  such  as  a  child  should  hear,  the  judge  directs  the 
officer  to  take  the  children  to  the  rear  of  the  room. 

CASES  OF  DELINQUENT  GIRLS. 

The  real,  as  distinguished  from  the  technical,  hearings  in  delin- 
quent girls'  cases  are  held  in  a  private  room  before  the  woman  assist- 
ant to  the  judge.  This  room  is  in  appearance  a  small  and  attractive 
office,  having  no  suggestion  of  a  court  room.  No  one  is  admitted 
to  this  room  except  the  persons  directly  concerned  with  the  case  and 
the  officers  of  the  court.  Ordinarily,  no  one  is  present  but  the  assist- 
ant to  the  judge,  the  girl,  her  mother,  her  father  whenever  possible, 
tlie  probation  officer,  a  court  stenographer  who  is  a  woman,  and  the 
police  probation  officer  who  filed  the  petition  in  those  cases  in  which 
the  complaint  was  made  to  the  police.  This  officer  is  usually  the  only 
man  present  aside  from  the  girl's  father.  The  proceedings  are  even 
less  formal  than  those  in  open  court ;  the  hearing  is  in  reality  a  help- 
ful, friendly  conference  of  all  concerned.  If  the  petition  has  been 
fded  by  a  police  officer  he  gives  his  information  relating  to  the  case ; 
the  probation  officer  who  has  made  the  social  investigation  then  pre- 
sents the  facts  she  has  learned  and  describes  the  conditions  as  she 
sees  them.  The  girl  is  encouraged  to  state  her  side  of  the  case  and 
to  express  her  feelings  and  point  of  view.  The  difficulty  is  discussed 
with  the  parents  and  the  probation  officer,  and  they  are  consulted 
with  regard  to  the  wisest  plan  to  pursue.  Every  effort  is  made  by 
the  judge's  assistant  to  establish  confidential  relations  with  the  girl 
and  to  make  her  feel  that  here  she  has  a  real  friend  genuinely  in- 
terested in  her  welfare.  She  and  her  parents  stand  close  to  the  desk 
during  proceedings,  no  strangers  are  present  before  whom  she  hesi- 
tates to  tell  her  story,  and  it  is  seldom  that  she  fails  to  be  more  or 
less  won  by  the  evident  friendliness  of  the  atmosphere.  After  the 
facts  have  been  brought  out,  the  assistant  tries  to  persuade  the 
parents  to  agree  to  what  seems  to  her  the  best  course  of  action  and  in 
any  event  makes  a  recommendation  as  to  the  disposition  of  the  case. 
The  probation  officer  then  takes  the  girl  and  her  parents,  with  the 


62  THE    CHICAGO   JUVENILE   COURT. 

legal  papers,  before  the  judge  and  reports  to  him  the  facts  of  the 
case  with  the  recommendations  of  the  assistant  to  the  judge.  The 
judge  acquaints  himself  quickly  but  adequately  with  the  problems; 
but  if  there  are  no  objections  on  the  part  of  the  parent,  he  generally 
concurs  in  the  recommendation  of  his  assistant.  Neither  the  girl  nor 
the  witnesses  are  questioned,  nor  is  any  statement  of  the  case  made  in 
open  court.  Any  parent  or  his  representative  may,  however,  object 
and  demand  that  the  judge  himself  hear  all  the  facts  in  the  case. 
If  that  is  done,  the  case  is  heard  in  open  court  in  the  week  devoted 
to  contested  cases.  That  means,  of  course,  that  the  privacy  with 
which  the  court  has  tried  to  shield  the  girl  can  no  longer  be  main- 
tained. It  is  very  rarely,  however,  that  an  open  hearing  is  insisted 
upon,  for  in  general  the  parents  and  friends  of  the  girl  are  impressed 
with  the  fairness  of  the  private  hearing  and  appreciate  what  the 
court  is  trying  to  do. 

CASES  OF  FEEBLE-MINDED  CHILDREN. 

Hearings  in  cases  of  feeble-minded  children  are  conducted  by  the 
judge  and  a  commission  appointed  by  him  as  required  by  law.'  In 
practice  this  commission  always  consists  of  two  representatives  of 
the  Institute  for  Juvenile  Hesearch.  Since  an  examination  of  the 
child  must  be  made  by  an  expert  before  the  case  is  brought  into 
court,  the  hearing  is  merely  a  report  of  the  result  of  this  examina- 
tion, followed  by  a  formal  order  for  disposition. 

AID  TO  MOTHERS  CASES. 

Mothers  who  are  to  receive  pensions  under  the  aid  to  mothers  law 
must  appear  with  their  children  before  the  judge  to  have  their 
applications  granted.  The  hearings  in  these  cases  are  usually  brief, 
as  in  most  instances  it  is  necessary  only  to  ratify  the  action  of  the 
committee  composed  of  the  chief  probation  officer,  the  head  of  the 
aid  to  mothers  division,  and  the  county  agent  or  his  representative. 

"'  Hurd's  Illinois  Revised  Statutes,  1919,  ch.  23,  see.  328. 


THE  COURT  ORDER. 

Tlie  real  test  of  the  value  of  the  juvenile  court  as  an  enduring- 
social  institution  lies  perhaps  in  the  character  of  treatment  that  is 
provided  for  the  child  after  the  hearing  of  the  facts  of  the  case. 
It  is  a  comparatively  simple  task  for  the  legislature  to  do  away  witli 
the  forms  of  the  criminal  procedure,  to  say  that  the  child  is  not  a 
criminal  but  a  delinquent  "  misdirected  and  misguided  and  needing 
aid,  encouragement,  help,  and  assistance,"  ^  and  as  such  that  he  shall 
not  be  punished  but  shall  be  placed  in  such  surroundings  and  under 
such  influences  that  he  will  cease  to  be  even  delinquent.  But  it  is 
not  so  easy  for  the  judge  and  probation  officers  of  the  juvenile  court 
to  determine  in  each  case  what  method  of  treatment  is  most  likely 
to  bring  about  definite  improvement,  nor  for  the  probation  officer 
who  is  intrusted  with  the  supervision  of  the  child  to  embody  in 
concrete  results  whatever  ideals  of  probation  work  he  may  have.  In 
the  case  of  the  neglected  child  the  task  is  even  more  difficult,  for  it  then 
involves  reorganizing  a  whole  family  and  helpful  cooperation  often 
secured  from  the  parents  of  a  delinquent  child  may  be  lacking. 

DISMISSAL  AND  CONTINUANCE. 

Dismissed  and  continued  generally. 

The  form  that  the  court  order  may  take  varies  with  the  class  of 
case,  the  legal  restrictions,  and  the  public  provision  for  the  care  of 
each  group  of  children.  There  are,  however,  two  broad  lines  of 
action  that  the  court  may  take  in  all  classes  of  cases.  It  may  as- 
sume responsibility  for  the  child  or  it  may  refuse  to  assume  that 
responsibility.  In  the  Chicago  juvenile  court  practice  a  child  is 
never  "  discharged  "  or  "  acquitted,"  for  these  terms  impl}^  that  he 
was  formally  accused  of  a  specific  offense.  If  the  facts  brought  out 
in  the  investigation  or  in  the  hearing  do  not  reveal  conditions  that 
warrant  the  court's  assuming  control  over  the  child  the  case  may 
be  either  "  dismissed  "  or  "  continued  generally."  A  case  is  dismissed 
when  the  facts  seem  to  indicate  that  there  is  no  need  for  court 
action.  "  Continued  generally "  amounts  to  continued  indefinitely 
in  contrast  with  continued  for  a  definite  period  of  time  or  to  a 
specified  date.  A  case  is  "  continued  generally  "  when  conditions  do 
not  seem  to  warrant  the  supervision  of  a  probation  oflicer  and  yet 

1  Colorado  Revised  Statutes,   1908,  sec.  507. 

63 


64 


THE   CHICAGO    JUVENH^E    COURT. 


the  judge  is  unwilling  to  dismiss  the  case.  The  orders  of  "  dis- 
missed "  and  "  continued  generally  "  are  alike  in  that  neither  pro- 
vides for  further  work  on  the  case.  They  differ  in  the  fact  that  if 
a  "  dismissed  "  case  is  to  be  again  brought  into  court  a  new  petition 
must  be  filed,  while  a  case  "  continued  generally  "  remains  nominally 
under  the  court's  jurisdiction  and  a  new  petition  is  unnecessary.  In 
neither  case  does  the  child  receive  supervision. 

The  "  continued  generally  "  order  may  also  be  used  as  a  temporary 
expedient  when  (before  a  case  has  reached  the  stage  of  a  definite 
order)  the  family  moves  without  notifying  the  probation  officer.  In 
such  cases,  instead  of  entering  an  order  of  continuance  for  a  definite 
period,  the  judge  continues  the  case  "  generally  "  to  allow  the  pro- 
bation officer  to  locate  the  family  and  to  bring  in  the  case  whenever 
it  is  possible  to  do  so.  The  purpose  here,  of  course,  is  quite  different 
from  that  first  mentioned.  In  Table  VIII  the  numbers  of  cases  of 
the  various  types  dismissed  and  continued  generally  are  shown  for 
the  three-year  period  1917-1919. 


Table  VIII. — Dismissal  and  general  .Gontinuance,  hy  class  of  case;  cases  heard 
by  the  juvenile  court,  1911-1919} 


Cases  heard  by  the  court 

Class  of  case. 

All  cases. 

Dismissed." 

Continued  gener- 
ally. 

Number. 

Per  cent 
of  total. 

Number. 

Per  cent 
of  total. 

Total                                 

23, 270 

1,439 

6.2 

2,060 

8.9 

Delinquency: 

7,281 
2,164 
5,992 
1,614 
192 
6,027 

683 
279 
381 
27 
11 
58 

9.4 
12.9 
6.4 
1.5 
5.8 
1.0 

1,575 
93 
309 
69 
14 

21.6 

Girls          .                           

4.3 

Dependency                                                              .   .   . 

5.2 

4.3 

7.3 



'  Compiled  from  figrures  .for  fiscal  years  ending  Nov.  30.  Charitv  Service  Reports,  Cook 
County,  111.,  1917-1919.     Figures  for  1920  are  :  Dismissed,  521  ;  continued  generally,  544 

Among  23,270  cases  heard  by  the  court  in  the  three-year  period 
1917-1919  only  1,439,  or  6.2  per  cent,  were  dismissed  and  only  2,060, 
or  8.9  per  cent,  were  continued  generally.  The  use  of  these  orders 
varies  somewhat  with  the  type  of  case.  Aid  to  mothers  cases  are 
never  continued  generally  and  are  rarely  dismissed,  because  the  in- 
vestigation is  necessarily  very  complete  and  the  pension  must  be 
recommended  by  the  conference  committee  before  a  petition  is  filed. 
Among  the  feeble-minded  children  the  fact  that  even  14  cases  were 
continued  generally  is  explained  by  the  court  as  meaning  "  that  the 
whole  situation  of  the  child  was  not  serious  enough  for  the  court  to 
order  a  commitment  as  feeble-minded,  but  that  it  was  bad  enough 


THE    COURT   ORDER.  65 

SO  that  it  might  later  become  necessary  to  make  a  commitment. 
Under  this  order  the  court  retains  jurisdiction,  so  that  the  child 
can  be  brought  into  court  without  filing  a  new  petition."  ^ 

Continued  for  a  definite  period. 

Before  the  court  definitely  dismisses  the  case  or  by  some  other 
final  order  assumes  the  care  of  the  child,  cases  are  frequently  con- 
tinued for  a  definite  period.  This  order  may  be  used  for  two  rea- 
sons :  First,  because  the  child  or  its  custodian  fails  to  appear  in  court, 
sometimes  even  necessitating  delay  for  publication;  and,  second, 
in  the  hope  that  the  child  may  improve  in  conduct  or  the  home 
conditions  may  be  so  changed  as  to  render  a  final  order  unnecessary. 
Under  such  circumstances  the  case  ma^'  be  dismissed,  and  the  child 
saved  from  whatever  stigma  may  be  attached  to  a  juvenile  court 
record. 

The  essential  difference  between  continuing  a  case  generally  and 
continuing  it  for  a  definite  period  is  in  the  supervision  provided 
in  the  latter  case.  As  long  as  the  judge  orders  the  continuance  of  a 
case  with  the  definite  intention  of  having  it  brought  into  court  at  a 
later  time,  the  officer  who  has  made  the  investigation,  unless  some 
other  officer  is  designated,  is  responsible  not  only  for  the  child's 
ultimate  appearance  in  court,  but  for  whatever  developments  may 
take  place  in  the  meantime.  Children  brought  to  court  by  police 
probation  officers  are  never  left  under  the  supervision  of  these 
officers  but  are  placed,  by  special  order,  under  the  supervision  of 
some  other  officer,  usually  the  probation  officer  for  the  district  in 
which  the  child  lives. 

The  effect,  then,  of  the  order  for  definite  continuance,  usually 
stated  in  the  case  record  as  "continued  under  supervision,"  seems 
to  be  practically  that  of  probation.  Certain  administrative  differ- 
ences exist,  however.  Many  of  the  supervising  officers,  especially 
in  the  cases  of  children  brought  in  on  dependent  petitions,  are 
officers  of  the  investigation  division.  In  such  cases  the  children 
receive  adequate  care.  The  work  of  the  division  may,  however, 
be  seriously  disorganized  by  the  necessity  of  caring  for  a  great 
number  of  supervised  cases,  and  the  practice  is  recognized  by  the 
chief  probation  officer  as  a  violation  of  the  principle  of  specializa- 
tion of  function  maintained  in  the  organization  of  the  staff,  to 
which  lie  credits  a  considerable  jDart  of  its  successful  work. 

The  relation  of  the  court  to  the  problem  of  the  child  during  these 
periods  of  continuance  is  one  that  has  been  very  little  discussed. 
As  has  been  said,  neither  the  annual  reports  of  the  court  nor  of  the 
chief  probation  officer  contain  data  with  reference  to  it.     It  is.  how- 

-  Charity  Service  Reports,  Cook  County,,  111.,  1010,  p.  285. 


66  THE    CHICAGO    JUVENILE   COURT. 

ever,  evidently  a  relationship  of  sufficient  importance  to  be  of  in- 
terest to  the  student  of  the  court.  The  following  cases,  while  few 
in  number,  illustrate  situations  that  are  typical  of  many  situations 
with  which  the  court  deals  through  this  device : 

Virginia  D.,  aged  15,  was  brought  into  court  by  her  mother.  She  had  been 
lv:eeping  late  liours  in  bad  company,  and  one  night  stayed  out  until  2  a.  m.  The 
case  was  continued  for  seven  months  under  the  supervision  of  the  district 
officer. 

October  27,  1919:  First  hearing.  Virginia  worlviug  without  a  certificate. 
Disobedient  and  defiant.     To  live  at  home  under  supervision. 

November  7,  1919 :  Probation  officer  visited.  Virginia  had  obtained  a 
worli  certificate.     Was  doing  office  worlf  and  going  to  night  school. 

November  26,  1919 :  Case  in  court.  Virginia  had  stayed  away  from  home 
all  night.  Found  in  park  next  morning.  Said  she  had  ridden  round  on  street 
cars  all  night.     Given  another  chance  at  home. 

December  2,  1919 :  Probation  officer  reports  home  conditions  poor,  but  Vir- 
ginia beliaving  better. 

January  19,  1920:  Virginia  left  home.  Family  learned  that  she  was  staying 
with  a  family  in  Geneva,  111.,  who  were  at  first  willing  to  keep  her,  but  a  month 
later  sent  her  home,  as  they  did  not  wish  to  be  responsible  for  her. 

March  29,  1920:  Case  in  court.  Virginia  working  and  causing  no  trouble. 
Continued  to  April  23,  1920. 

April  2,  1920:  Probation  officer  visited.     Virginia  working. 

April  16,  1920:  Virginia  admits  she  has  not  been  working  for  a  week. 
Mother  can  not  manage  her. 

April  23,  1920:  Case  in  court.  Virginia  again  working.  Has  lied  about 
lier  age  to  employer  and  is  not  going  to  night  school.     Case  continued. 

■  May  20,  1920 :  Virginia  ran  away  from  home.  Picked  up  by  the  police  and 
taken  to  the  detention  home. 

June  2,  1920:  Case  in  court.  Virginia  had  been  unmanageable  in  detention 
home.     Placed  under  supervision  of  child-placing  division  to  live  at  M.  E.  Club. 

June  80,  1920:  Case  in  court.  Virginia  had  run  away  from  club  and  had 
been  immoral.  Probation  officer  on  case  stated  that  she  had  never  seen  the 
girl.     Committed  to  the  House  of  the  Good  Shepherd. 

Harriet  L.,  a  colored  girl,  aged  17.  Mother  dead,  father  married  again. 
Stepmotlier  complained  that  girl  had  stolen  money  from  her  father  and  had  torn 
up  her  stepmother's  clothing.    Case  continued  five  months. 

December  30,  1919  :  First  hearing.  Evidences  of  mental  defect,  but  father  and 
probation  officer  have  been  unable  to  get  her  to  the 'psychopathic  institute  for 
an  examination.    Case  continued  to  January  6,  1920. 

January  6,  1920 :  Case  in  court.  Continued  for  a  warrant,  as  girl  refuses  to 
come  to  court  or  to  have  psychopathic  examination. 

January  21,  1920 :  Case  in  court.    Continued  for  report  of  examination. 

.January  28,  1920:  Case  in  court.  Psychopathic  institute  reports  that  Harriet 
is  neither  feeble-minded  nor  insane,  but  has  very  peculiar  reactions.  Girl  com- 
plains of  stepmother's  treatment.  Willing  to  try  working  in  a  private  home. 
Continued  under  supervision  of  district  officer.    To  be  placed  in  private  home. 

February  2.  1920:  Case  set  for  hearing  before  Judge  Arnold  to  confirm  assist- 
ant's recommendation.    No  one  pi'esent.    Continued. 

February  21,  1920:  Placed  in  working  girls'  home.  Matron  refused  to  keep 
her  because  she  was  so  slovenly.    Discharged  from  laundry  because  too  slow. 

March  11,  1920:  Placed  in  another  family.  Probation  officer  visited  once. 
Found  that  Harriet  was  doing  day  work  and  was  dirty  and  untidy.    Her  father 


THE    COURT   ORDER.  67 

had  given  her  money  for  clothes.  A  friend  of  hers  was  interviewed  a  niontli 
later,  but  the  girl  was  not  seen. 

June  4,  1920 :  Case  in  court.  No  one  but  probation  officer  present.  Girl  was 
then  18.    No  improvement  was  reported,  but  the  case  was  continued  generally. 

Irene  T.,  aged  13.  Neighbors  complained  of  her  conduct  and  case  was  brought 
to  court  by  police  probation  officer.    Continued  eight  months. 

June  10,  1919:  First  hearing.  Girl  had  been  out  of  school.  Neighbors  had 
complained  that  she  was  often  alone  in  the  house  with  a  man  who,  according  to 
her  mother,  was  a  friend  of  her  brother's.  Mother  refused  to  allow  a  medical 
examination,  but  had  a  satisfactory  statement  from  her  own  doctor.  Case  con- 
tinued, with  no  order  for  supervision. 

June  27,  1919 :  Case  in  court.  Truant  officer  testifies  that  absence  from  school 
accounted  for  by  illness.  IMother  objects  to  suggestion  of  sending  her  to  a  con- 
valescent home.    Case  continued. 

Case  in  court  four  times  between  June  27,  1919,  and  January  6.  1920.  Each 
time  mother  failed  to  appear,  and  the  case  was  continued. 

January  6,  1920  :  Case  in  court.  Irene  had  given  birth  to  a  child  on  Christmas 
day.  A  few  weeks  before  this  the  mother  had  had  her  married  at  the  city  hall  by 
giving  her  age  as  16.  She  had  paid  a  doctor  $2  to  give  her  the  statement  presented 
to  the  court  at  the  first  hearing.    Case  continued. 

January  20,  1920 :  Case  in  court.  Irene  complains  that  she  was  forced  to  give 
the  child  to  her  sister-in-law  for  adoption.  Continuance  one  week  to  investigate 
the  matter. 

January  27,  1920:  Case  in  court.  Irene  to  live  at  home.  Child  to  remain  with 
aunt.  Marriage  has  been  annulled.  Irene's  brother  undertakes  to  see  that  she 
does  not  live  with  the  man  again  until  she  is  16  and  can  be  legally  married. 
Case  dismissed. 

Richard  R.  was  a  dependent  boy  9  years  old.  His  parents  were  divorced, 
and  his  mother  worked  as  a  housemaid  in  a  private  family.  He  had  been  under 
the  court's  jurisdiction  since  1918  and  had  been  placed  in  several  homes.  In 
1919  his  custodian  complained  of  his  bad  habits  and  stealing  and  refused  to 
keep  him  any  longer.  The  case  was  brought  to  court  for  rehearing  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1919,  and  was  continued  seven  times  during  a  period  of  nine  months, 
ending  in  dismissal. 

February  24.  1919:  Case  in  court.  Probation  officer  requests  continuance 
to  see  what  she  can  do  with  child. 

March  12,  1919 :  Case  in  court.  Temporary  home  found  by  Illinois  Children's 
Home  and  Aid  Society.     Continued. 

March  12,  1919 :  Case  in  court.    Probation  officer  has  found  home.    Continued. 

March  31,  1919 :  Case  in  court.  Report  that  child  is  provided  for  until  Sep- 
tember.    Continued. 

July  2,  1919 :  Case  in  court.  Report  that  child  is  provided  for  until  Septem- 
ber.    Continued. 

September  8,  1919:  Case  in  court.     No  one  present.     Continued. 

September  17,  1919:  Case  in  court.  Boy  so  attached  to  custodian  that  ar- 
rangement prolonged  until  January. 

January  6,  1920 :  Case  in  court.     No  one  present.     Continued. 

January  19,  1920:  Case  in  court.  Custodian  wishes  to  keep  child.  Case 
dismissed. 

The  record  contains  no  report  of  any  visit  to  this  family  or  of  the  conditions 
in  the  home.  It  is  probable  that  the  home  was  approved  by  the  Illinois  Chil- 
dren's Home  and  Aid  Society. 

John  C.  a  delinquent  boy.  13  years  old,  in  company  with  another  boy  had 
been  involved  in  six  different  burglaries. 


68  THE    CHICAGO    JUVENH^E    COURT. 

October  31,  1919:  Case  in  court.  Good  home.  Parents  want  tc  give  boy 
another  chance.     Continued  under  supervision  of  district  probation   officer. 

January  29,  1920:  Case  in  court.  John  placed  in  a  farm  school  by  probation 
officer  and  his  father.    Judge  approves  arrangement.    Case  continued. 

May  12,  1920 :  Probation  officer  learns  that  John  had  taken  a  large  sum  of 
money  from  his  father  and  had  run  away  from  the  school  with  several  othei 
boys.     School  refused  to  take  him  back. 

June  4,  1920:  John  working  in  his  uncle's  cigarette  factory.  Reports  favor- 
iable. 

June  23.  1920:  Case  in  court.  John  registered  for  a  summer  camp.  Case 
dismissed. 

A  brief  summary  does  not  wholly  reveal  the  work  of  the  court,  as 
it  is  impossible  to  note  all  the  work  done  in  each  case.  The  difficulty 
is  due,  however,  not  only  to  the  method  of  presentation  but  also  to 
the  inadequacy  of  the  court  record  in  these  cases.  It  is  often  difficult 
to  ascertain  what  work  the  probation  officer  has  done.  Each  hearing, 
however,  has  been  included,  and  all  other  steps  that  seemed  to  have 
an  important  bearing  on  the  case.  The  reader  of  these  cases  is  struck 
in  some  instances  by  a  somewhat  hasty  dropping  of  the  case  by  a 
"  dismissed  "  or  "  continued  generally  "  at  the  first  indication  of  im- 
provement, especially  when  the  boy  or  girl  is  near  the  upper  age 
limit,  so  that  if  the  jurisdiction  of  the  court  be  lost  it  can  not  again 
be  obtained. 

The  published  reports  of  the  court  do  not  include  the  number  of 
continuances,  since  they  are  not  final  orders.  An  idea  of  the  extent 
to  which  this  order  is  used,  however,  was  gained  by  reading  a  number 
of  selected  records  of  cases  heard  by  the  court  during  the  first  two 
weeks  of  January,  1920.  Among  86  records  of  delinquent  and  de- 
pendent children,  66  cases  had  been  continued  at  least  once.  As 
many  as  35  of  these  continuances  had  lasted  from  1  to  3  months,  20 
from  4  to  10  months,  and  only  11  had  been  continued  for  less  than  1 
month.  Continuances  of  less  than  one  month  were  for  the  most 
part  necessary  for  technical  reasons,  such  as  changing  the  petition 
from  delinquent  to  dependent,  feeble-minded  or  truant,  or  in  order 
to  bring  into  court  persons  interested  in  the  case.  Sometimes  these 
arrangements  cause  long  continuances  that  are  very  difficult  ttvbring 

to  an  end. 

THE  FINAL  ORDER. 

The  final  order  of  the  court  does  not  always  result  in  treatment  that 
differs  from  the  treatment  under  an  order  for  continuance  for  a 
definite  period.  It  creates  a  different  status,  however.  It  is  more 
definite.  The  case  is  no  longer  frequently  brought  before  the  judge 
but  can  be  reopened  only  by  a  new  petition  or  a  notice  of  rehearing. 
In  cases  of  feeble-minded  and  truant  children  and  under  the  moth- 
ers' pension  law  the  possible  methods  of  disposition  are  limited  by 
the  special  character  of  these  cases.  The  metliods  of  disposition  in 
such  cases  will  be  briefly  indicated,  and  the  remainder  of  the  chapter 


THE    COURT    ORDER. 


69 


will  be  devoted  to  the  more  complicated  methods  of  handling  cases 
of  delinquent  and  dependent  children. 

Table  IX  shows  the  disposition  of  feeble-minded  cases  for  each 
year,  beginning  with  1915,  that  is,  with  the  first  year  that  the  court 
was  given  jurisdiction  in  cases  of  feeble-minded  children. 

Table  IX. — Disposition  of  cases,  hy  year;  cases  of  feeble-minded  children  heard 
by  the  juvenile  court,  1915-1919.^ 


Disposition. 

Cases 

)f  feeble-minded  children  heard 
by  the  court. 

1915 

1916 

1917 

1918 

1919 

Total 

{') 

79 

60 

58 

74 

nisTnis^Prl                                                                                                

<'l 

4 
4 
71 

4 

1 

6 

Continued  generally 

4  1            6 
52             51 

4 

64 

1  Figures  for  fiscal  years  ending  Nov.  30.  Charity  Service  Reports,  Cook  County,  111. 
1915-1919.  Figures  for  1920  are  :  Dismissed,  3  ;  continued  generally,  14  ;  committed  to 
state  school  for  the  feeble-minded,  41. 

-  Figures  not  available. 

xVs  might  be  expected,  by  far  the  greater  number  of  such  cases  are 
committed  to  the  State  school  for  the  feeble-minded  at  Lincoln, 
since  a  feeble-minded  petition  is  never  filed  until  after  an  examina- 
tion by  the  Institute  for  Juvenile  Research  and  a  recommendation 
for  institutional  care.  The  capacity  of  the  State  school  is  inadequate 
to  care  for  all  the  feeble-minded  needing  institutional  care  and  as  a 
result  the  court  is  obliged  to  commit  only  those  children  whose  need 
is  most  pressing.  Even  so,  the  school  can  not  receive  all  the  chil- 
dren committed  by  the  court,  and  the  detention  home  is  frequently 
obliged  to  care  for  these  children  for  months  pending  their  transfer 
to  the  institution. 

Table  X  shows  the  disposition  of  truant  cases  in  1919,  the  first  year 
since  the  establishment  of  the  Chicago  Parental  School  for  Girls. 
The  school  for  boys  has  been  in  existence  since  1902. 

Table  X. — Disposition  of  cases,  by  sex  of  child;  truancy  cases  heard  by  the 
juvenile  court,  year  ending  Nov.  30,  1919} 


Truancy  cases  heard  by  the  court. 

Disposition. 

Total. 

Boys. 

Number. 

Per  cent 
distribu- 
tion. 

Girls.' 

Total 

623 

100.0 

570 

53 

47 
63 
498 

2.4 
7.6 
10.1 
79.9 

40 
61 
458 

4 

Continued  generally. . 

7 

Placed  on  probation  to  truant  officer 

2 

40 

K'harity  Service  Reports.  Cook  County,  111.,  1919.  Figures  for  1920  are:  Dismissed. 
24  ;  continued  generally,  49  ;  placed  on  probation,  30  ;  committed  to  parental  school,  453. 

2  The  Parental  School  for  Boys  was  established  in  1902  ;  that  for  girls  in  June,  1919 
Figures  for  girls  are,  therefore,  for  five  months  only. 


70 


THE    CHICAGO    JUVENILE   COURT. 


Nearly  80  per  cent  of  these  truant  children  are  committed  to  the 
parental  schools.  Children  are  in  fact  generally  brought  into  court 
by  the  compulsory-education  department  of  the  city  board  of  educa- 
tion for  the  express  purpose  of  commitment  to  the  parental  school. 
The  compulsory-education  department,  through  its  truant  officers, 
has  itself  the  authority  to  visit  and  supervise  truant  children.  Thus 
no  real  need  for  court  action  exists  unless  the  child  has  proved  too 
unmanageable  to  be  left  at  home  and  must  be  placed  in  the  parental 
school.  As  previously  stated  the  only  contact  of  the  juvenile  court 
or  its  officers  with  the  truant  child  is  through  the  hearing  in  the  court. 
The  work  of  supervision  as  well  as  that  of  investigation  is  performed 
by  the  compulsory-education  department. 

The  order  in  a  mother's  pension  case  may  take  the  form  of  "  dis- 
missed," "  granted,'"  "  increased,"  "  reduced,"  or  "  stayed,"  that  is, 
discontinued. 

In  dealing  with  delinquent  children  the  court  is  acting  under  the 
law  to  which  it  owes  its  existence  and  attacking  the  problem  for  which 
is  was  primarily  created. 

Table  XI  gives  the  final  orders  of  the  court  in  cases  of  delinquent 
children  during  the  five-year  period,  1915-1919. 

Table  XI. — Disposition  of  case,  dy  sex  of  child;  delinquency  cases  heard  iy 
the  juvenile  court,  1915-1919} 


Cases  of  delinquent  children. 

Disposition. 

Boys. 

Girls. 

Number. 

Per  cent 
distribu- 
tion. 

Number. 

Per  cent 
distribu- 
tion. 

11,799 

100.0 

3,344 

100.0 

Dismissed  . 

1,020 

2,751 

4,113 

2,603 

621 

16 

6 

70 

599 

8.6 
23.3 
34.9 
22.1 
5.2 
0.1 
0.1 
0.6 
5.1 

425 

111 

1,039 

1,333 

330 

7 

2 

12.7 

Continued  generally 

3.3 

31.1 

39.9 

Guardian  appointed                                              

9.8 

Placed  in  hospitals  and  in  schools  for  defectives 

0.2 

0.1 

97 

2.9 

1  Compiled  from  figures  for  fiscal  years  ending  Nov.  30.  Charity  Service  Reports,  Cook 
County.  111.,  1915-1919.  Yot  1920  the  figures  are:  Boys,  1,912;  girls,  638.  For  1921 
they  are  :  Boys,  1,754  ;  girls,  661. 

-  A  rehearing  is  counted  as  a  new  case. 

For  both  boys  and  girls  probation  and  commitment  to  institutions 
are  the  most  important  orders,  including  57  per  cent  of  the  boys' 
cases  and  71  per  cent  of  the  girls'  cases.  A  comparatively  small  num- 
ber are  placed  under  the  care  of  a  guardian,  committed  to  hospitals 
or  schools  for  defectives,  deported,  or  held  to  the  grand  jury  for 
indictment  on  criminal  charges.     "No  change  of  order"  indicates 


THE    COURT    ORDER. 


71 


merely  that  a  case  has  been  reheard  but  that  the  disposition  of  the 
child  remains  the  same  as  before. 

Before  discussing-  the  various  methods  of  treatment  set  forth  in- 
Table  XI  it  is  well  to  consider  a  similar  table  dealinn;  with  dependent 
children ;  for  at  certain  points  the  treatment  of  dependent  and  de- 
linquent children  overlap,  and  the  machinery  of  the  court  set  up  for 
one  group  serves  also  the  other  group.  In  Table  XII  is  presented 
the  disposition  of  cases  of  dependent  children  during  the  period  1915- 
1919. 

Table  XII. — Disposition :  dcpeiulency  cases  heard  hii  the  jitrenile  court.  1915- 

1919} 


Disposition. 


Total . 
Dismissed.. 


Continued  generally 

Placed  on  probation 

Committed  to  institutions 

Committed  to  child-placing  societies 

Guardian  appointed 

Placed  in  hospitals  and  schools  for  defectives . 

Deported 

No  change  of  order  in  rehearings 


Cases  of  dependent 

children. 

Per  cent 

Number. 

distribu- 

tion. 

10,631 

100.0 

635 

6.0 

584 

5.5 

2,805 

26.4 

4,330 

40.7 

491 

4.6 

1,341 

12.6 

63 

0.6 

46 

0.4 

336 

3.2 

1  Compiled  from  figures  for  fiscal  years  ending  Nov.  30.  Charitv  Service  Reports,  Cook 
County,  111.,  1915-1919.  In  1920  there  were  1,262  cases  of  dependent  children;  in 
1921,   1,292. 

In  26.4  per  cent  of  the  cases  of  dependent  children,  the  child  was 
placed  on  probation,  and  in  40.7  per  cent  committed  to  institutions. 
Commitment  to  child-placing  societies,  appointment  of  a  guardian, 
placing  in  hospitals,  and  deportation  provided  for  the  remainder 
of  the  group. 

Probation. 

Cases  placed  on  probation,  as  shown  in  Tables  XI  and  XII,  in- 
clude 34.9  per  cent  of  the  delinquent  boys,  31.1  per  cent  of  the  de- 
linquent girls,  and  26.4  per  cent  of  the  dependent  children.  The 
probation  order  means  that  the  child  may  live  in  his  own  home  or 
in  the  home  of  relatives  or  close  friends  designated  by  the  court, 
subject  to  the  supervision  of  the  district  probation  officer.  The 
policy  of  the  court  is  to  use  this  order  whenever  the  circumstances 
are  not  such  as  to  render  it  obviously  imprudent.  The  court  prefers 
to  make  its  errors  on  the  side  of  too  frequent  rather  than  too  slight 
use  of  probation. 

The  number  of  cases  in  which  children  were  placed  on  probation 
in  their  own  homes  and  in  family  homes  other  than  their  own  is 
shown  in  Table  XIII. 


72 


THE    CHICAGO    JUVENILE    COURT. 


Table  XIII. — Probation,  by  class  of  case;  delinquency  and  dependency  cases 
heard  by  the  juvenile  court,  1915-1919^ 


Dependency  and  delinquency  cases. 

Class  of  case. 

Total. 

Placed  on  probation. 

Total. 

To  live 
at  home. 

To  live 
in  other 
homes. 

Total 

25, 774 

7,957 

.     6,686 

1,271 

Delinquencj': 
Boys 

3' 344 
10,631 

4,113 
1,039 
2,805 

3,965 

878 

1,843 

148 

Girls 

161 

962 

1  Compiled  from  figures  for  fiscal  years  ending  Nov.  30.  Charity  Service  Reports,  Cook 
County,  111.,  1915-1919.  For  1920  the  figures  are:  Probation  at  home,  806;  in  other 
homes,  125.    For  1921  they  are  :  Probation  at  home,  763  ;  in  other  homes,  90. 

In  more  than  one-thircl  of  the  cases  of  dependent  children  placed 
on  probation  the  child  is  placed  in  a  home  other  than  his  own. 
The  home  in  which  the  dependent  child  is  placed  on  probation  is 
usually  that  of  a  friend  or  relative,  not  one  that  the  court  finds  for 
him.  The  distinction  should  be  made  here  between  the  technique  of 
placing  a  child  on  probation  in  a  home  other  than  his  own  and 
what  is  known  as  "  child  placing."  The  former  work  is  under  the 
direction  of  the  family-supervision  division,  the  latter  under  the 
direction  of  the  child-placing  division,  whose  chief  officer  is  ap- 
pointed guardian  of  the  child  with  the  right  to  place  and  sometimes 
the  right  to  consent  to  adopton.  The  probation  order  is  generally 
used  to  meet  problems  more  temporary  than  those  met  by  child- 
placing. 

Probation  is  handled  by  two  separate  departments  of  the  court — 
the  family-supervision  division  and  the  delinquent  boys'  division. 
The  work  of  supervising  dependent  children  and  delinquent  girls 
falls  to  the  officers  of  the  family-supervision  department  and  is  de- 
scribed as  follows  in  the  annual  report  of  the  court  for  1918 : 

The  task  of  reconstructing  homes  which  have  been  found  by  the  court  to  be 
unfit  is  one  that  can  only  be  successfully  performed  by  experts.  It  is  a  task  in 
which  organization  and  system  play  a  considerable  part,  but  which  would  fail 
entirely  without  the  personal  appeal  of  the  probation  officer.  Only  women 
probation  officers  are  assigned  to  this  division.  Visits  to  the  home  are  em- 
ployed largely  to  establish  the  necessary  personal  contact  which  makes  possible 
many  helpful  relations.  The  work  here  is  friendly  supervision  and  sympa- 
thetic help  as  contrasted  with  surveillance.  Some  of  the  things  in  the  way  of 
special  help  which  the  probation  officers  of  this  division  are  able  to  do  are 
the  following : 

Finding  new  quarters  for  the  family. 

Teaching  mothers  how  to  care  for  their  children. 

Showing  mothers  how  to  buy  to  advantage,  etc. 

Securing  legal  advice. 


THE    COURT    ORDER.  73 

Securing  medical  aid. 

Seciirina:  employment  for  different  members  of  the  family. 
Sending  cbildren  and  mothers  to  the  coxmtry  for  vacations. 
Malfing  outside  contacts  for  the  family  with   individuals   and  associations, 
such  as  settlements,  recreation  centers,  etc. 

The  average  number  of  families  assigned  to  a  probation  officer  of 
this  division  is  54.^ 

This  statement  of  kinds  of  service  rendered  represents  an  ideal 
toward  which  the  probation  department  is  striving  rather  than  an 
actual  accomplishment,  inasmuch  as  with  the  large  number  of  cases 
assigned  each  officer  it  is  quite  impossible  to  secure  such  detailed 
supervision  in  all  instances.  The  court  recognizes  the  value  of  super- 
vision ;  and  the  work  of  the  officers  is  directed  by  the  head  of  the  clivi- 
sion,  who  reads  all  reports  of  visits  made  by  the  officers,  makes  sug- 
gestions about  matters  needing  attention,  and  confers  with  the  officers 
about  families  who  present  special  difficulties.  In  addition  to  this  an 
attempt  was  made  in  1919  to  secure  more  efficient  work  by  the  adop- 
tion of  a  set  of  rules  intended  to  serve  as  minimum  standards  for  pro- 
bation work.  These  rules  were  drafted  by  a  committee  of  the  heads  of 
the  divisions  and  are  as  follows : 

1.  Read  record  before  going  out  on  case. 

2.  First  visit  within  one  week ;  report  of  first  visit  should  include — 

(a)   Tentative  plan. 

(&)    Definite  statement  of  reason  for  court  action  and  what  should  be 
accomplished  by  probation. 

(c)  Environment  sheet  must  be  completely  filled  out  if  same  was  not 

done  at  time  case  was  brought  into  court. 

(d)  Definite  information  must  be  gotten  as  to  the  name  and  address 

of  employers  of  the  working  members  of  the  family  as  well  as 
amount  of  wages. 

(e)  First  report  must  be  plainly  and  definitely  marked'  "first  report" 

so  that  same  can  be  margined  by  typists. 

3.  Division  head  to  specify  minimum  number  of  visits  on  each  case  per  month 

and  how  frequently  child  itself  should  be  seen. 

(a)  Division  head  will  notify  officer  on  receipt  of  first  report  as  to  this. 
(6)   Division  head  will  also  make  such  notation  on  the  record. 

4.  Report  of  child's  progress  in  school  should  be  made  once  a  month ;  if  same  is 

unsatisfactory,  matter  should  be  taken  up  at  once. 

(o)    School  reports  will  give  information  as  to  deportment,  attendance, 

application,  appearance,  and  any  other  information  gleaned  from 

teacher  and  principal. 
(&)   School  report  should  be  plainly  marked  "school  report"  so  that 

same  can  be  margined  by  the  typist. 

5.  Every  member  of  the  family  and  household'  should  be  seen  at  least  once  during 

the  probation  period. 

6.  At  the  end  of  a  six  months'  probation  a  summary  should  be  made  showing 

what  was  accomplished,  and  if  the  cause  for  court  action  has  not  been 
remedied,  why. 

'  Charity  Service  Reports,  Cook  County,  111.,  191S,  p.  217. 
8800.")°— 22 6 


74  THE    CHICAGO    JUVENILE    COURT. 

It  is  the  intention  of  the  present  head  of  the  family  supervision 
division  that  cases  which  show  no  improvement  after  they  have  been 
on  probation  for  a  year  or  more  shall  again  be  brought  into  court. 

In  addition  to  the  rules  quoted,  which  apply  to  all  officers  having 
charge  of  children  on  probation,  officers  having  supervision  over 
delinquent  girls  are  required  to  visit  employers,  when  the  girls 
change  jobs,  to  verify  the  girls'  statements  about  their  work  and 
earnings  and  to  visit  the  girls  themselves,  as  well  as  their  families, 
at  least  once  a  month.  In  cases  of  dependent  children  it  is  con- 
sidered sufficient  if  the  family  with  whom  the  child  is  living  is 
interviewed  periodically  at  longer  intervals.  Occasionally,  if  cir- 
cumstances seem  to  warrant  it,  delinquent  girls  are  directed  to  report 
to  their  officers  at  a  settlement  or  at  some  similar  convenient  place. 

Delinquent  boys  placed  on  probation  are  under  the  supervision  of 
the  officers  in  the  delinquent  boys'  division,  all  of  whom  are  men. 
These  officers  are  under  the  supervision  of  the  head  of  that  division, 
who  directs  their  work  in  much  the  same  way  as  that  described 
above.  The  rules  already  cited  apply  to  them  as  well  as  to  the  officers 
in  the  family  supervision  division.  The  work  is  primarily  with  the 
offending  boys,  but  the  officers  recognize  the  importance  of  family 
conditions  and,  so  far  as  possible,  adjust  any  difficulties  they  may 
observe  or  call  in  the  service  of  an  agency  better  adapted  to  deal 
with  the  problem. 

The  rule  is  that  boys  be  visited  in  their  own  homes  at  least  once 
a  month.  Some  of  the  officers  supplement  their  visits  to  the  boys 
by  having  the  boys  report  to  them  at  stated  times,  usually  at  a  settle- 
ment house  in  the  district.  The  head  of  the  division  does  not  object 
to  this  practice  if  the  individual  officers  think  it  successful,  but  he 
does  not  encourage  officers  to  adopt  it,  as  he  is  convinced  that  the 
difficulties  connected  with  the  practice  are  likely  to  outweigh  its  ad- 
vantages. In  no  case  are  the  reports  to  the  officer  allowed  to  take 
the  place  of  visits  to  the  boys  in  their  homes,  but  are  always  used 
to  supplement  the  regular  visits.  Aside  from  the  rules  quoted  above 
there  are  few  regulations  governing  the  work  of  the  officers,  but 
each  case  is  dealt  with  as  the  situation  seems  to  demand.  School 
reports  must  be  obtained  if  the  boy  is  still  in  school;  employers, 
however,  are  seldom  seen  unless  the  position  was  obtained  with  the 
assistance  of  the  probation  officer,  as  it  has  been  found  that  attempts 
to  cooperate  with  the  employer  occasionally  lead  to  the  discharge  of 
the  boy,  and  in  more  cases  cause  fear  of  discharge  on  the  part  of  the 
boy  and  irritation  on  the  part  of  the  boy's  parents. .  Special  attention 
is  paid  to  boys  during  the  early  part  of  the  probation  period,  as  this 
is  recognized  as  the  crucial  period. 

Depending  as  it  does  upon  the  varying  conditions  in  the  individual 
cases,  it  is  difficult  to  make  any  general  statement  about  the  actual. 


THE    COURT   ORDER.  75 

work  of  probation.  In  reading  a  number  of  cases  selected  at  random 
it  has  been  apparent  that  the  rules  of  the  department  are  not  slav- 
ishly followed.  They  are,  if  these  cases  are  typical,  often  overlooked, 
sometimes  with  good  reason,  sometimes  apparently  through  careless- 
ness. The  following  summaries  of  cases  of  children  placed  on  pro- 
bation for  a  considerable  period  of  time  will  present  a  better  picture 
of  the  situation  than  any  general  statements  could  convey.  Despite 
the  inadequacy  of  the  records,  some  idea  may  be  gained  from  these 
cases  of  the  difficulties  both  of  the  child  and  the  probation  officer. 

Edward  O.,  a  fatherless  delinquent  boy  14  years  old,  had  been  on  probation 
for  nine  months  when  the  case  was  read.  He  was  one  of  eight  children.  Three 
older  boys  were  living  at  honae  and  supporting  the  family.  He  was  brought 
into  court  first  in  1917.  when  he  was  accused  of  throwing  a  stone  and  breaking 
a  church  window.  He  denied  the  charge,  and  as  no  evidence  was  produced  in 
support  of  the  charge,  the  court  was  satisfied  with  his  denial  and  the  case  was 
"  continued  generally." 

Edward  was  next  brought  to  court  more  than  a  year  later  after  stabbing 
and  wounding  another  boy.  His  mother  was  working.  An  older  brother 
offered  to  pay  the  costs  and  promised  to  look  after  the  boy,  but  the  court 
ordered  Edward  to  pay  $3  a  week  for  three  weeks  to  pay  the  doctor's  bill. 
(He  was  at  that  time  earning  $10  a  week,  but  the  record  does  not  give  his 
occupation.)  The  case  was  continued  under  the  supervision  of  a  probation 
officer  who  received  payments  from  the  boy  but  reported  no  other  supervision 
or  visits.  When  the  required  payments  had  been  made  in  April,  1919,  Edward 
was  placed  on  probation.  The  probation  officer  reported  his  first  visit  one 
month  later.  Edward  was  then  working  at  "  some  steel  company "  as  an 
errand  boy,  earning  $9  a  week.  Three  more  visits  to  the  home  were  reported 
during  the  next  five  months,  but  the  boy  himself  was  not  seen  until  October 
25,  when  he  was  out  of  work.  The  probation  officer  sent  him  to  the  vocational 
bureau  to  get  a  job,  but  received  no  report  and  did  not  see  him  again  until  he 
was  again  brought  into  court  on  December  1.  A  few  days  before  this  the  officer 
had  visited  Edward's  mother  and  happened  to  learn  that  the  boy  had  stolen 
$5  from  his  mother,  had  run  away  from  home,  and  finally  had  been  arrested 
for  stealing  some  flashlights  from  an  automobile.  A  police  probation  officer 
had  filed  a  petition.  The  case  was  continued  under  supervision.  The  subse- 
quent history  may  be  summarized  as  follows : 

The  next  day  after  the  hearing  Edward  reported  to  probation  officer  and 
was  sent  to  the  vocational  bureau  to  get  a  work  certificate.  Got  a  job  as 
errand  boy  at  $10  a  week. 

Three  weeks  later :  Visit  of  probation  officer  to  mother.    Report  favorable. 

Two  weeks  later:  Case  in  court  on  continuance.  Probation  officer  had  not 
seen  boy  since  day  after  hearing,  but  reported  his  conduct  satisfactory  and 
recommended  probation.     Court  ordered  probation. 

Three  weeks  later:  Probation  officer  visited  mother.     Report  favorable. 

Two  weeks  later:  Vocational  bureau  notified  probation  officer  that  boy  had 
been  discharged  for  unsatisfactory  work.  Probation  officer  promised  to  visit 
but  did  not  do  so. 

Five  days  later :  Vocational  bureau  requested  probation  officer  to  call  at  office, 
as  boy  had  stolen  $2  from  doctor's  office  while  waiting  to  be  examined.  Ad- 
vised court  action,  but  probation  officer  decided  to  have  a  psychopathic  exami- 
nation first,  which  showed  a  mental  age  of  12  years ;  that  is.  some  retardation. 


76  THE    CHICAGO    JUVEI^ILE    COURT. 

A  physical  examination  sliowed  incipient  pyorrliea.  Tlie  vocational  bureau 
refused  a  new  worli  certificate  until  the  boy's  teeth  were  in  good  condition, 
and  he  was  sent  to  a  dentist.  When  the  probation  officer  next  visited, 
Edward  was  away  on  a  vacation,  and  a  month  later  was  working.  This  was 
the  last  record  when  the  case  was  read  two  months  later. 

Anna  G.,  a  15-year-old  girl,  was  brought  into  court  for  immorality.  She  had 
left  home  and  with  two  other  girls  rented  a  room  in  a  hotel.  She  admitted  hav- 
ing had  immoral  relations  with  one  man  previous  to  this  time,  and  her  mother 
was  willing  that  she  should  marry  him,  but  as  she  was  only  15,  under  the  law  of 
Illinois  she  could  not  be  married.  The  case  was  continued  during  the  time  the 
man's  case  was  pending  in  the  morals  court,  and  Anna  was  kept  for  more  than 
a  month  in  the  detention  home.  At  the  end  of  this  time  she  was  placed  on  pro- 
bation, and  the  whole  family  was  thoroughly  impressed  with  the  fact  that  the 
marriage  could  not  take  place  for  five  months.  The  probation  officer  made  four 
visits  during  this  time,  but  saw  Anna  only  once.  She  had  not  passed  the  fifth 
grade  and  could  not  get  a  working  certificate,  but  apparently  no  attempt  was 
made  to  keep  her  in  school.  About  the  time  she  was  16  she  began  to  work. 
The  man  was  allowed  to  call,  but  the  family  were  quite  anxious  to  cooperate 
with  the  officer  in  looking  after  Anna,  and  there  was  no  further  trouble.  She 
was  married  as  soon  as  she  was  16  and  was  released  from  probation. 

Mary  B.,  a  15-year-old  colored  girl,  was  reported  to  the  court  by  a  school 
principal  for  writing  indecent  notes  and  for  immorality.  She  was  one  of  eight 
children,  and  the  home  was  poor  and  neglected.  Commitment  to  the  State 
school  for  girls  was  recommended  by  the  assistant  to  the  judge,  and  Mary  was 
sent  to  the  detention  home  to  await  the  judge's  confirmation  of  this  recommen- 
dation. Meantime  Mrs.  W.,  for  whom  Mary  had  worked  after  school,  asked  the 
court  to  allow  Mary  to  work  at  her  house  every  day  from  9  until  7  instead  of 
sending  her  to  Geneva.  The  arrangement  seemed  satisfactory  to  the  probation 
officer,  and  the  judge  placed  Mary  on  probation  to  live  at  home. 

When  the  probation  officer  visited  less  than  two  weeks  later,  Mary  wanted 
to  work  in  a  factory  because  she  could  earn  more.  The  family  had  moved,  and 
conditions  were  improved. 

A  week  later  when  the  officer  called  the  family  had  decided  that  Mary  should 
go  back  to  school  and  graduate,  as  she  was  too  young  to  work. 

A  month  after  this  the  probation  officer  called  and  found  that  Mary  was  In 
school  and  was  working  for  Mrs.  W.  after  school.  For  two  months  Mary  re- 
mained in  school,  and  the  reports  of  her  conduct  were  good.  The  probation 
officer  enlisted  the  cooperation  of  a  social  agency  working  with  colored  families, 
and  this  agency  persuaded  Mary  and  her  sister  to  join  the  Y.  W.  C.  A.  and  a 
community  club.  After  school  was  out  in  July  the  officer  visited  and  found 
that  Mary  was  staying  at  home  during  the  day  with  younger  brothers  and 
sisters  while  her  mother  worked.  She  seemed  dissatisfied  with  this  arrange- 
ment, however,  and  wanted  herself  to  go  out  to  work.  For  four  months  after 
this  the  family  was  not  visited,  and  in  November  when  the  officer  finally  called 
the  family  had  moved.  Two  weeks  later  when  the  record  was  read  they  had 
not  been  located. 

Frances  L.,  a  colored  girl  of  16,  had  been  brought  to  court  in  1917,  after  she 
had  run  away  from  an  institution  for  dependent  girls.  She  had  stolen  money 
from  one  of  the  girls  there  and  had  been  immoral.  Both  her  parents  were 
dead,  and  she  was  committed  to  the  State  training  school  for  girls.  In  1919  an 
aunt  of  the  girl's  asked  for  her  release  from  the  institution.  The  institution 
reported  that  the  girl  was  mentally  defective,  had  congenital  syphilis,  and  was 


THE    COURT    OEDER.  77 

losing'  her  eyesight.  The  court  therefore  continued  the  case  for  three  months. 
At  the  end  of  this  time  the  report  as  to  the  girl's  condition  was  still  unfavor- 
able, but  a  probation  officer  reported  favorably  upon  the  aunt's  home,  and  the 
judge  released  Frances  on  probation  on  condition  that  she  be  given  close 
supervision. 

For  two  months  Frances  remained  in  her  aunt's  home  helping  with  the  house- 
work. The  probation  officer  visited  twice  during  this  time.  When  the  officer 
visited  the  aunt  the  next  month,  Frances  was  in  the  county  hospital  for  eye  treat- 
ment. She  remained  in  the  hosi)ital  for  three  months  and  the  officer  visited  her 
aunt  twice.  For  nearly  three  months  more  conditions  remained  about  the  same, 
Frances  staying  with  her  aunt  and  doing  very  well.  Then  tlie  aunt  reported 
to  the  probation  officer  that  Frances  was  having  inunoral  relations  with  one 
of  her  lodgers.  (Up  to  this  time  there  has  been  no  mention  of  lodgers  in  the 
home.)  The  court  physician  reported  that  Frances  was  pregnant.  Nearly 
two  months  later  the  probation  officer  visited  and  found  that  Frances  had  been 
away  from  home  for  two  weeks.  After  several  weeks  it  was  discovered  that 
she  had  been  living  with  a  man  and  working  to  support  him. 

The  case  was  then  brought  into  court  for  hearing.  Frances's  statements 
seemed  to  point  to  the  fact  that  her  aunt  was  keeping  a  disorderly  house. 
When  the  home  was  first  visited  a  man  was  present,  but  the  aunt  had  told  the 
probation  officer  that  he  was  not  living  there  and  that  she  had  no  lodgers. 
She  admitted  in  this  hearing  that  she  had  had  lodgers  at  that  time.  The  case 
was  continued  for  a  week  for  further  investigation,  but  when  brought  in  again, 
the  aunt  was  ill.  Since  Frances  had  no  other  place  to  go  and  the  aunt  needed 
her  help,  the  court  made  no  change  of  order.  The  I'ecord  was  read  a  few  days 
after  this  hearing. 

Mrs.  M.  asked  the  court  to  place  her  four  children — three  girls  and  a  boy,  all 
under  14.  Her  husband's  whereabouts  was  unknown,  and  she  was  working  as  a 
waitress  earning  $10  a  week.  During  the  investigation  the  mother  was  arrested 
for  shoplifting.  She  was  sent  to  the  county  jail  for  10  days,  and  meantime  the 
children  were  placed  in  the  detention  home.  While  in  jail  the  mother  was  given 
a  mental  examination  and  was  reported  to  be  feeble-minded  and  '"  almost  com- 
mittable." 

November  26,  1919:  First  hearing.  The  mother's  statements  seemed  quite 
contradictory  and  unreliable.  The  case  was  continued  for  publication  for  the 
father,  who,  according  to  Mrs.  IVI.,  had  died  in  France.  The  mother  and  children 
were  placed  in  a  charity  lodging  house. 

December  20,  1919:  Mrs.  M.  left  the  lodging  house  and  applied  at  a  police 
station  for  lodging,  saying  she  had  no  money. 

December  23.  1919 :  Case  in  cf>urt.  Mrs.  IM.  still  unreliable.  Case  continued 
under  supervision  of  child-placing  division. 

December  31.  1919 :  Mother  placed  liy  the  adult  probation  officer  of  the  mu- 
nicipal court  in  the  psychopathic  hospital  for  observation.  All  the  children 
taken  to  a  rescue  mission  in  a  suburb. 

January  6  and  12,  1920 :  Case  in  court.  Mother  still  in  hospital  and  case  con- 
tinued. 

January  16,  1920:  Mother  called  at  court  asking  for  children.  Had  been  dis- 
charged from  hospital  diagnosed  as  psychopathically  unfit  to  care  for  the  chil- 
dren. 

January  19,  1920  :  Case  in  court.  Leona,  aged  13,  and  lone,  aged  11,  committed 
to  an  industrial  school  for  dependent  girls;  Jack,  aged  4,  and  Mazy,  aged  2, 
to  an  orphanage.    Adult  probation  officer  is  to  be  responsible  for  the  mother. 


78  THE    CHICAGO    JUVENn^E   COURT. 

At  this  time  information  was  received  from  a  social  agency  in  another  city 
that  the  two  younger  children  were  illegitimate  and  that  the  mother  had  taken 
the  two  older  ones  from  a  home  in  which  they  had  been  placed. 

May  3,  1920 :  Mother  asked  for  release  of  children.  Was  working  in  a  hotel, 
earning  $20  a  week. 

May  7,  1920:  Mother  called  with  a  man  for  whom  she  was  to  keep  house. 
Probation  officer  consulted  with  sisters  of  a  convent  who  recommended  the  man, 
and  probation  officer  approved  the  plan.    The  man  had  four  children. 

May  28,  1920 :  Children  released  and  placed  on  probation  to  live  with  mother. 

June  5,  1920:  Probation  officer  visited.  Home  dirty.  Children  away.  Mrs. 
M.  sullen  and  resentful. 

June  26,  1920:  Mrs.  M.  took  her  children  and  left  her  place  of  employment, 
going  to  the  charity  boarding  home. 

July  7,  1920:  Probation  officer  visited  family  at  boarding  home.  Mrs.  M. 
working  in  a  hotel.    Children  well  cared  for  in  the  nursery. 

September  17,  1920:  Probation  officer  visited.  Mrs.  M.  not  seen,  but  matron 
gave  good  report. 

October  14,  1920:  Mrs.  M.  called  at  office.  Raved  incoherently.  Wanted  court 
to  leave  her  alone. 

October  15,  1920:  Probation  officer  consulted  matron  of  home,  who  reported 
that  Mrs.  M.  had  left  with  her  children  and  did  not  say  where  she  was  going, 
although  she  had  told  some  one  she  was  leaving  the  city. 

Two  months  later,  when  the  record  was  read,  the  family  had  not  been  located. 

These  cases  reveal  the  paucity  of  community  resources  for  meeting 
many  of  the  needs  revealed  by  the  court  hearing.  The  ease  with 
which  families  move  from  one  city  to  another  renders  the  task  of 
supervision  extremely  difficult;  there  is  the  difficulty  of  seeing  the 
older  children  if  they  have  gone  to  work;  making  an  investigation 
on  which  to  base  a  plan  of  permanent  care  takes  time.  These  few 
cases  illustrate  the  way  in  which  officers  cooperate  with  the  vocational 
bureau,  with  the  organization  intended  to  deal  especially  with  prob- 
lems among  colored  people,  with  the  settlement,  the  Y.  W.  C.  A.,  and 
with  the  members  of  the  adult  probation  department.  They  illus- 
trate, too,  the  kind  of  situation  in  which  the  authority  of  the  court 
constitutes  an  important  factor  in  the  exercise  of  parental  or  filial 
responsibility. 

Appointment  of  guardian. 

Another  order  that  the  court  may  enter  in  cases  both  of  delinquent 
and  of  dependent  children  is  the  appointment  of  a  guardian.  For 
delinquent  children  the  provision  of  the  juvenile  court  law  reads  as 
follows : 

The  court  may  appoint  some  proper  person  or  probation  officer  guardian  over 
the  person  of  such  child  and  permit  it  to  remain  in  its  own  home,  or  order  such 
guardian  to  cause  such  child  to  be  placed  in  a  suitable  family  home.* 

The  provision  for  dependent  children  is  as  follows : 

If  the  parent,  parents,  guardian  or  custodian  consent  thereto,  or  if  the  court 
shall  further  find  that  the  parent,  parents,  guardian  or  custodian  are  unfit  or 

*  Kurd's  Illinois  Revised  Statutes,  1919,  ch.  23,  sec.  177. 


THE    COURT    ORDER.  79 

improper  guardians  or  are  unable  or  unwilling  to  care  for.  protect,  train,  educate 
or  discipline  such  child,  and  that  it  is  for  the  interest  of  such  child  and  the 
people  of  this  State  that  such  child  be  taken  from  the  custody  of  its  parents, 
custodian  or  guardian,  the  court  may  make  an  order  appointing  as  guardian 
some  reputable  citizen  of  good  moral  character  to  place  such  child  in  some 
family  home  or  other  suitable  place  which  such  guardian  may  provide  for  such 
child.' 

This  order  is  used  in  o^eneral  in  those  cases  in  which  it  appears 
that  the  arrangement  made  must  be  of  relatively  long  duration ;  that 
is,  when  the  home  is  unfit  and  no  possibility  of  its  improvement  ap- 
pears to  be  likely  in  the  near  future,  when  both  parents  are  dead  and 
no  relatives  are  found  to  care  for  the  child,  and  when  the  mother  is 
dead  and  the  father  is  unable  to  provide  care  for  the  child  and  pre- 
fers placing  in  a  family  home  to  commitment  to  an  institution.  In 
cases  of  delinquent  children  special  consideration  is  given  to  the 
possibility  of  the  child's  making  good  in  new  surroundings. 

The  order  appointing  a  guardian  may  be  stated  in  either  of  two 
forms,  "  with  the  right  to  place  "  or  "  with  the  right  to  consent  to 
adoption."  The  second  of  these  two  orders  was  authorized  by  an 
amendment  to  the  juvenile  court  law  passed  in  1907  and  providing 
that— 

the  court  may  in  its  order  appointing  such  guardian  empower  him  to  appear 
in  court  where  any  proceedings  for  the  adoption  of  such  child  may  be  pending, 
and  to  consent  to  such  adoption ;  and  such  consent  shall  be  sufficient  to  author- 
ize the  court  where  the  adoption  proceedings  are  pending  to  enter  a  proper 
order  or  decree  of  adoption  without  further  notice  to  or  consent  by  the  parents 
or  relatives  of  such  child." 

The  order  giving  the  guardian  the  right  to  consent  to  adoption,  a 
stronger  order  than  the  one  merely  giving  the  right  to  place  in  a 
home,  is  used  onh^  in  those  cases  in  which  it  is  desired  to  effect  a  per- 
manent separation  of  the  child  from  its  parents  or  from  those  who 
have  the  custody  of  the  child.  This  order,  it  should  be  noted,  gives 
the  guardian  only  the  right  to  consent  to  adoption ;  no  child  can  be 
adopted  until  a  proper  petition  has  been  filed  in  a  court  of  competent 
jurisdiction  and  the  fact  established  that  the  state  of  affairs -justifies 
adoption.  The  effect  of  this  order  is  that  the  parents  from  whom  the 
child  has  been  taken  by  court  order  need  not  be  made  defendants  in 
the  adoption  proceedings  as  would  otherwise  be  required. 

The  comparative  infrequency  with  which  the  order  appointing  a 
guardian  is  used  is  indicated  in  Tables  XI  and  XII.  Only  5.2  per  cent 
of  the  cases  of  delinquent  boys,  9.8  per  cent  of  the  cases  of  delinquent 
girls,  and  12.6  per  cent  of  the  cases  of  dependent  children  have  been  dis- 
posed of  in  this  manner,  in  contrast  with  34.9  per  cent,  31.1  per  cent, 
and  26.4  per  cent,  respectively,  placed  on  probation,  and  22.1  per  cent, 
39.9  per  cent,  and  40.7  per  cent  committed  to  institutions.     It  is, 

^  Ourd's  niinois  Revised   Statutes,   1919,  sec.   175. 
6  Ibid.,  eh.  23,  sec.  183. 


80  THE   CHICAGO   JUVENILE   COURT. 

however,  an  important  authority  for  the  court  to  possess.  Such  an 
authority  would  be  an  essential  factor  in  a  policy  of  child-placing 
were  the  court  ever  given  the  resources  to  develop  the  field  of  placing 
in  family  homes  as  a  substitute  for  the  institutional  care  on  which 
it  must  at  present  so  largely  rely. 

The  "  reputable  citizens  "  appointed  as  guardians  are  either  per- 
sons known  to  the  parent,  though  such  persons  are  rarely  appointed, 
or  officers  of  the  court.  In  the  cases  of  both  delinquent  and  de- 
pendent girls  and  a  few  of  the  younger  dependent  boys  the  officer 
appointed  as  guardian  is  the  head  of  the  child-placing  division. 
This  division  was  organized  about  1914  in  order  to  provide  private 
boarding  homes  for  semidelinquent  girls,  for  whom  a  change  of 
environment  was  considered  advisable  and  who  were  not  delinquent 
enough  to  be  sent  to  an  institution  for  delinquent  girls.  The  work 
soon  proved  so  useful  that  the  division  extended  its  activities  to 
dependent  children  also.  The  annual  report  of  the  juvenile  court 
for  1918  gives  the  following  account  of  the  work  of  this  division: 

Officers  of  the  child-placing  division  place  in  family  homes  or  in  private 
institutions  children  who  have  been  committed  to  their  care  by  the  judge 
of  the  juvenile  court.  During  the  past  year  704  children,  approximately  one- 
third  of  whom  were  delinquent  girls  and  the  other  two-thirds  dependent  boys 
and  dependent  girls,  were  so  placed.  No  public  money  is  paid  for  the  support 
of  these  children.  In  some  cases  the  parents  pay  the  child's  board.  The 
older  schoolgirls  and  girls  of  working  age,  who  are  placed  in  family  homes, 
receive  compensation  ranging  from  $1.50  to  $6  per  week  for  services  which 
they  render  in  these  homes.  On  December  1,  1918,  423  children  were  in  the 
care  of  officers  of  this  division.' 

Most  of  the  girls  placed  are  15  or  16  years  old.  An  effort  is 
usually  made  in  the  case  of  dependent  girls  to  secure  for  them  posi- 
tions as  mothers'  helpers,  a  type  of  work  chosen  because  it  brings 
the  girl  into  intimate  relationship  with  the  family  life  and  puts 
her  under  the  close  supervision  of  her  employer.  Delinquents  and 
semidelinquents  are  more  likely  to  be  employed  as  maids  in  private 
families.  Children  under  12  years  of  age  are  generally  placed  in 
institutions,  though  sometimes  in  free  private  homes  where  they 
may  be  given  the  opportunity  to  go  to  school. 

Applications  from  women  who  wish  to  take  wards  of  the  court 
into  their  homes  are  investigated  by  a  special  officer  of  the  division. 
She  is  expected  to  visit  the  home  and  to  talk  with  the  mistress,  to 
learn  the  composition  of  the  family  and  the  number  and  condition 
of  the  rooms,  and  to  assure  herself  that  the  girl  will  have  a  bed- 
room of  her  own  which  is  provided  with  a  key.  No  effort  is  made 
to  see  other  members  of  the  family,  and  the  woman's  word  is  taken 
as  to  the  absence  of  boarders.     At  least  two  persons,  not  relatives. 

'  Charity  Service  Reports,  Cook  County,  111.,  1918,  p.  219. 


THE   COURT   ORDER.  81 

given  as  references  by  the  family,  are  also  visited.     Any  woman  who 
wishes  to  take  a  girl  must  agree  to  the  following  conditions : 

1.  That  the  girl  be  allowed  to  attend  night  school  if  she  chooses. 

2.  That  she  report  twice  a  month  alone  in  person  to  her  probation 
officer  at  the  Mary  B  Home. 

3.  That  she  shall  not  be  required  to  do  any  washing. 

4.  That  she  is  to  be  in  the  house  by  9  o'clock  at  night. 

6.  That  she  is  not  to  go  out  in  the  evening  with  anyone  of  whom 
the  mistress  of  the  house  does  not  approve. 

The  extent  to  which  these  instructions  are  carried  out  by  the  officer 
can  not  be  judged  from  the  records  of  the  division,  as  those  records 
are  very  slight.  The  results  of  the  carefully  outlined  investigation 
of  homes  are  not  recorded  in  detail.  The  only  report  of  conditions 
in  a  foster  home  selected  by  the  division,  aside  from  remarks  en- 
tered in  the  case  records  of  an  individual  child,  is  that  recorded  on 
a  four  by  six  card  which  contains  the  name  and  address  and  the 
number  of  persons  in  the  home.^** 

One  of  the  great  difficulties  with  which  the  child-placing  depart- 
ment was  formerly  confronted  was  that  of  finding  working  homes 
for  girls  fresh  from  the  court  room.  They  are  likely  at  first  to 
appear  too  friendless  and  woe-begone  to  be  attractive  to  strangers. 
Thus  a  pleasant  temporary  home  where  the  girls  might  rest  and  re- 
cover self-possession  and  a  little  courage  was  greatly  needed.  This 
need  was  met  by  equipping  from  private  funds  two  small  clubs  to 
which  girls  could  be  sent  directly  from  the  court.  One,  known  as 
the  Mary  B,  is  for  dependents;  and  the  other,  the  Mary  A,  is  for 
semidelinquents.  The  board  of  directors  publishes  a  circular  in 
which  the  clubs  are  described  as  follows : 

In  1914  money  was  raised  to  furnish  a  six-room  flat,  wliich  later  grew  into 
a  two-story-and-attic  house.  Here  the  girl  remains  for  a  day,  a  week  or 
perhaps  longer,  as  the  case  requires,  the  thought  back  of  the  home  being  to 
acquaint  her  with  the  requirements,  responsibilities,  and  joys  of  real  home 
conditions.  She  is  helped  to  wash  and  mend  her  clothing  and  takes  part  in 
the  pleasures  as  well  as  the  work  of  the  household.  If  frail  and  undernour- 
ished, she  remains  until  able  to  take  a  place  where  she  may  earn  her  livelihood 
or  perhaps  work  her  way  through  school.  If  adenoids  or  tonsils  should  be  re- 
moved, she  is  cared  for  at  the  club  while  convalescing  from  these  minor  opera- 
tions. While  her  physical  wants  are  thus  cared  for,  the  moral  and  spiritual 
help  she  receives  from  the  knowledge  that  somebody  really  cares  about  her 
welfare  and  that  there  is  a  place  she  may  always  call  home,  brings  to  her  self- 
confidence  and  courage  to  take  her  place  in  life. 

The  need  of  the  girl  whom  we  might  term  a  semidelinquent  was  quite  as 
urgent  as  that  of  the  dependent  girl,  and  friends  came  forward  again  in  191G 
and  established  a  second  home. 

The  Mary  B  club  for  dependents  accommodates  18  girls ;  the  Mary 
A  cares  for  8. 

■'"  Since  this  writing  a  new  system  of  records  for  tlie  child-placing  department  has  bi'en 
established  and  complete  reports  of  investigations  of  foster  homes  are  now  l^ept  on  file. 


82  THE    CHICAGO    JUVENH^E    COURT. 

Many  of  these  girls  are  entirely  destitute  except  for  the  clothes  they 
are  wearing,  and  before  leaving  the  club  for  a  new  home  each  girl 
is  given  a  small  suit  case  containing  a  change  of  underwear,  a  night 
dress,  a  comb  and  brush,  and  various  other  articles  necessary  for 
care  of  the  person  and  helpful  in  properly  starting  a  new  career. 

No  girl  committed  by  the  court  to  the  head  of  the  child-placing 
division  may  be  released,  without  special  application  to  the  court, 
before  she  has  reached  the  age  of  18.  During  this  period  the  girl 
is  under  the  close  supervision  of  some  officer  in  the  division  who 
must  make  monthly  written  reports  to  the  head  of  the  division. 
Every  two  weeks,  as  has  been  stated,  the  girl  reports  to  the  officer, 
and  she  is  visited  once  a  month  in  her  home.  "When  the  girl  has 
shopping  to  do,  she  brings  her  wages  and  is  assisted  by  the  officer 
in  making  her  purchases.  The  division  handles  savings  accumulated 
by  the  girls  that  range  from  $5  to  $450.  The  social  life  of  these 
girls  has  received  special  attention  during  the  last  two  years.  On 
Sunda3's  they  may  entertain  their  callers  in  the  Mary  B  home.  Out- 
ings, concerts,  and  entertainments  are  arranged  for  by  societies  in- 
terested in  the  recreation  of  young  girls.  In  general,  girls  under  17 
are  not  allowed  to  receive  callers  in  their  homes,  though  exceptions 
are  made  in  special  cases. 

Until  recently  the  officers  of  the  child-placing  division  worked  only 
with  children  who  were  to  be  placed  in  homes  and  had  no  contact 
with  the  child's  own  home.  These  officers  are  now  required  to  keep 
in  touch  with  the  home  as  well,  and  to  make  an  effort  to  deal  with  the 
entire  family  situation. 

It  frequently  happens  that  when  a  girl  reaches  the  age  of  16  and 
is  free  to  select  an  occupation  she  prefers  an  occupation  other  than 
domestic  work,  such  as,  for  example,  that  of  telephone  operator  or 
office  work.  In  that  case  the  department  finds  for  her  another  home 
where  she  can  pay  board.  Although  wards  of  the  division  are  re- 
leased from  guardianship  at  the  age  of  18,  they  frequently  avail 
themselves  of  the  help  and  advice  of  the  officers  for  a  few  years 
longer. 

The  following  case  supervised  by  the  child-placing  division  illus- 
trates the  difficulties  of  finding  satisfactory  homes,  the  danger  of 
delinquency  developing  in  uncongenial  surroundings,  and  the 
methods  employed  by  the  division : 

Victoria  J.,  aged  17.  Fattier  and  mother  both  dead.  Under  tlie  court's  care 
as  a  dependent  since  1910.  She  had  been  at  first  on  probation,  later  placed  in 
an  institution  for  dependents,  and  since  October,  1915,  had  been  under  the 
care  of  the  child-placing  division.  During  this  time  she  had  remained  for 
three  years  in  one  family  home  which  proved  to  be  very  satisfactory.  Then 
her  custodian  died,  and  during  the  next  nine  months  she  was  placed  in  four 
different  homes.  She  was  not  contented  in  any  of  these,  complained  of  being 
ill,  and  upon  examination  was  found  to  be  pregnant.     She  was  then  sent  to  a 


THE   COURT   ORDER.  83 

maternity  home,  but  the  matron  found  her  unruly  and  refused  to  keep  her.  On 
October  8,  1919,  she  was  brought  into  court  on  a  delinquent  petition.  A  mental 
examination  two  days  before  this  showed  her  mental  age  to  be  12  years.  The 
case  was  continued  five  months  under  the  supervision  of  the  child-placing 
division. 

October  8,  1919:  In  court.  Continued  to  January  5,  1920,  Maternity  home 
willing  to  give  another  trial. 

October  14,  1919 :  Sent  with  probation  officer's  approval  to  work  in  the  kitchen 
of  a  large  hospital  until  her  confinement. 

January  5',  1920 :  Confinement.  Arrangements  made  for  Victoria  and  baby 
to  go  to  an  infant's  home  until  bastardy  case  against  the  man  responsible  is 
heard. 

Mai'ch  1,  1920:  Baby  died.  Victoria  in  family  home.  IMau  paid  burial  ex- 
penses, and  bastardy  charge  dismissed. 

March  19,  1920:  In  court.     Delinquent  petition  dismissed. 

April  8,  1920 :  Victoria  complains  of  loneliness  in  private  home. 

June  10,  1920:  Custodian  reports  Victoria  keeping  late  hours. 

July  5,  1920 :  Continues  to  keep  late  hours.     Custodian  suspects  immorality. 

July  9.  1920 :  Victoria  admits  immoral  relations.     Taken  to  detention  home. 

July  12,  1920:  Case  in  court  on  delinquent  petition.  Victoria  committed  to 
the  House  of  the  Good  Shepherd. 

In  the  cases  of  delinquent  boys  and  dependent  boys  over  12  years 
of  age,  the  guardian  appointed  is  the  head  of  the  delinquent  boys' 
division,  who  assigns  the  care  of  these  boys  to  three  officers  of  the 
division,  two  handling  cases  of  Catholic  boys,  the  third  those  of 
Protestant  boys.  The  two  Catholic  officers  have  ISO  boys  under 
their  care,  and  the  Protestant  officer  has  had  as  many  as  90,  but  in 
1920  he  reported  about  50.  Although  the  boy  may  be  placed  in  any 
situation  that  the  officer  deems  suitable,  and  some  boys  are  allowed 
to  enlist  in  the  Army  or  Navy,  a  farmer's  home  is  generally  selected. 
It  has  been  the  experience  of  the  officers  that  the  farm  with  its  outdoor 
life,  contact  with  animals,  and  opportunities  for  hunting  and  swim- 
ming, makes  a  strong  appeal  even  to  the  city-bred  boy  and  often 
proves  so  attractive  to  him  that  he  remains  on  the  farm  after  his 
period  of  supervision  by  the  court  is  over.  This  terminates  by  law 
at  his  twenty-first  birthday,  and  may  be  ended  before  that  time. 

No  specific  regulations  governing  the  activities  of  these  officers 
exist.  Each  one  is  given  great  latitude  in  working  out  his  own 
method  of  procedure.  Farms  within  a  radius  of  50  miles  of  Chicago 
are  usually  investigated  personally  by  the  officer  who  has  been  as- 
signed the  case.  Farms  at  a  considerable  distance  from  Chicago 
are  not  personally  investigated,  but  references  from  prominent  citi- 
zens in  the  town  near  which  the  farmer  lives  are  taken  instead. 
Until  about  1920  boys  were  widely  scattered  over  Illinois  and  ad- 
joining States,  but  since  that  time  an  effort  has  been  made  to  place 
them  on  farms  within  convenient  distance  of  Chicago.  Each  officer 
has  his  own  standards  of  conditions  which  make  a  farm  a  suitable 
place  for  a  boy.     Moreover,  these  standards  vary  according  to  the 


84  THE    CHICAGO    JUVENILE    COURT. 

individual  needs  of  the  boy  concerned.  Comfortable  quarters,  ar- 
rangements for  bathing,  and  wages  of  at  least  $10  a  month  to  cover 
the  cost  of  clothing  are  some  of  the  requirements.  No  stipulation 
about  conditions  of  work  is  made,  but  farmers  with  a  reputation 
for  overworking  their  employees  are  avoided.  The  officer  is  not 
in  a  position  to  make  too  precise  demands  because  the  farmer  feels 
that  it  is  a  favor  to  take  the  boy  at  all.  In  selecting  a  farm,  the 
character  of  the  boy  is  always  kept  in  mind.  For  instance,  a  home 
with  young  children  would  not  be  selected  for  a  boy  who  had  im- 
moral tendencies,  nor  one  with  unusual  opportunities  for  stealing 
for  a  dishonest  boy.  Although  the  officer  states  the  truth  when 
asked,  he  avoids  going  into  detail  about  the  boy's  past  record. 

If  a  boy  is  not  satisfied  with  the  first  home  in  which  he  is  placed, 
he  is  given  a  chance  to  try  others.  Rarely  an  officer  biings  a  boy 
back  to  court.  He  prefers  changing  him  about  many  times  to  giving 
up  the  plan  of  placing  him  on  a  farm. 

As  in  the  child-placing  di\dsion,  the  officers  make  a  monthly  report 
with  regard  to  each  child  under  their  care.  The  boys  make  no  regu- 
lar reports  to  the  officers.  Those  at  a  distance  write  letters,  while 
those  near  Chicago  are  frequently  conferred  with  by  telephone  and 
visited  approximately  every  six  weeks.  As  many  of  the  boys  as  pos- 
sible are  sent  to  a  particular  district  about  50  miles  from  Chicago 
because  of  the  greater  ease  of  supervision.  The  sheriff  of  the  county 
in  which  this  district  lies  is  especially  interested  in  keeping  in  touch 
with  the  boys  and  makes  them  feel  that  they  can  come  to  him  if 
they  get  into  any  difficulty.  Cooperation  of  public  officials  with 
probation  officers  is  of  peculiar  importance  when,  of  necessity,  the 
officer  is  not  readily  accessible  to  his  charges. 

Boys  under  the  guardianship  of  these  officers  are  encouraged  to 
go  to  school,  but  it  is  seldom  that  they  attend  beyond  the  age  of  16. 
Those  wishing  to  go  to  high  school  are  not  sent  out  on  farms.  The 
problem  of  securing  education  for  even  the  younger  boys  presents 
difficulties,  owing  to  the  dislike  of  school  authorities  and  parents  for 
having  city  boys,  many  of  them  with  undesirable  records,  attend  the 
small  country  schools. 

Commitment  to  child-placing  societies. 

A  small  proportion  of  dependent  children,  4.6  per  cent,  as  shown 
by  Table  XII,  were  committed  to  child-placing  societies  during  the 
five-year  period  1915-1919.  The  only  societies  of  whose  services  the 
juvenile  court  now  avails  itself  are  the  Illinois  Children's  Home  and 
Aid  Society,  the  Jewish  Home  Finding  Society  of  Chicago,®  and  the 

*  Now  a  division  of  tlie  Jewish.  Social  Service  Bureau. 


THE    COUKT    ORDER.  85 

Catholic  Home  Finding  Association  of  Illinois.  The  effect  of  this 
order  is  not  essentially  different  from  the  preceding,  except  that  the 
care  of  the  child  passes  to  others  than  court  officers.  Children  com- 
mitted to  these  societies  are  placed  in  family  homes  or  in  institutions 
and  are  supervised  by  agents  of  the  societies.  No  reports  are  required 
from  these  agencies,  but  the  Illinois  Home  and  Aid  Society  reports 
every  three  months  to  the  chief  probation  officer  regarding  children 
received  for  placing  but  not  for  adoption.  The  court,  however,  takes 
no  action  upon  these  reports  and  a  change  in  the  status  of  the  child 
is  made  only  at  the  request  of  the  society. 

Commitment  to  hospitals  and  schools  for  defectives. 

The  juvenile  court  law  gives  the  court  authority  to  place  a  delin- 
quent or  dependent  child  found  to  be  in  need  of  medical  care  in  a 
public  or  private  hospital  or  institution  for  special  treatment.''  In  a 
'small  number  of  cases,  less  than  1  per  cent  of  each  group  in  the  period 
1915  to  lOlO,^**  the  child  was  committed  to  such  institutions.  Most  of 
these  children  were  placed  in  the  county  hospital  and  the  county 
tuberculosis  sanitarium,  but  a  few  were  sent  to  the  State  school  for  the 
blind  and  to  a  home  for  destitute  crippled  children  in  Chicago.  In 
these  cases  in  which  a  child  is  to  be  placed  in  a  public  institution  at 
county  expense  the  procedure  is  commitment  to  the  county  agent. 
Deportation. 

A  few  children  each  year  are  deported.^"  This  means  usually  that 
they  are-turned  over  to  the  county  authorities  to  be  returned  to  other 
counties  or  States  in  which  the  family  has  a  legal  residence. 

Commitment  to  institutions. 

An  order  for  commitment  to  an  institution  is  a  last  resort  on  the 
part  of  the  court.  Most  delinquent  children  are  tried  on  probation  or 
are  placed  in  family  homes  before  it  is  finally  thought  to  be  necessary 
to  place  them  in  institutions.  In  cases  of  dependent  children  perhaps 
even  greater  effort  is  made  to  find  a  suitable  and  normal  home  environ- 
ment before  resorting  to  commitment  to  an  institution.  Nevertheless, 
from  Tables  XI  and  XII  it  appears  that  in  22.1  per  cent  of  the  cases 
of  delinquent  boys,  39.9  per  cent  of  the  cases  of  delinquent  girls,  and 
40.7  per  cent  of  the  cases  of  dependent  children,  the  child  was  com- 
mitted to  an  institution,  a  higher  proportion  of  the  last  two  groups 
than  that  of  cases  in  which  the  child  was  placed  on  probation.  This 
is  largely  due  to  the  fact  that  for  dependent  children  every  possible 
plan  is  tried  before  bringing  the  case  into  court,  wliile  the  seriousness 
of  the  offense  and  the  difficulty  of  supervising  a  girl  in  the  old  sur- 

»  Hurd's  Revised  Statutes  1919,  ch.  23,  sec.  177b. 
M  See  Tables  XI  and  XII,  pp.  70  and  71. 


86  THE    CHICAGO    JUYENILE    COURT. 

TOimdings  often  makes  commitment  the  only  possible  plan  for  the 
delinquent  girl. 

Dependent  children. — The  juvenile  court  law  provides  for  the  com- 
mitment of  dependent  children  to  "some  suitable  State  institution," 
to  a  manual-training  or  industrial  school,  or  to  a  private  association.^^ 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  only  one  institution  for  dependent  children  sup- 
ported by  public  funds  is  in  existence,  the  Soldiers'  Orphans'  Home  at 
Normal,  111.  This  institution  is  at  present  used  by  other  counties  of 
the  State  for  dependent  children  as  well  as  for  soldiers'  orphans,  but  is 
used  by  Cook  County  only  for  its  original  purpose.  With  the  excep- 
tion of  a  few  orphanages,  therefore,  the  institutions  to  which  depend- 
ents can  be  sent  are  those  organized  under  the  acts  establishing  indus- 
trial schools  for  girls  and  manual-training  schools  for  boys.^-  Under 
these  acts  any  seven  persons  with  the  approval  of  the  governor  and  the 
secretary  of  State  may  incorporate  to  maintain  an  institution  for  the 
education  and  care  of  dependent  children.^^  When  organized  under 
these  acts  they  have  certain  privileges  not  given  to  other  private  asso- 
ciations, by  far  the  most  important  of  which  is  the  right  to  receive 
from  the  county  $15  a  month  for  each  girl  and  $10  a  month  for  each 
boy  committed  to  their  care  by  order  of  the  court.  Under  these  cir- 
cumstances it  is  not  surprising  that  in  Cook  County  one  after  another 
of  the  institutions  caring  for  dependents  has  reorganized  under  the 
industrial  or  manual  training  school  act "  until  there  are  now  18  such 
schools  in  the  count}- ,  10  for  boys  and  8  for  girls.  Most  of  the  schools 
are  organized  for  children  of  foreign-born  parents,  along  national  and 
religious  lines,  and  the  court,  as  required  by  law,  exercises  scrupulous 
care  in  committing  children  to  institutions  where  they  will  be  given 
religious  training  in  accordance  with  the  faith  of  their  parents. 

The  policy  of  the  court  with  reference  to  the  commitment  of  depend- 
ents to  institutions  has  alwa}- s  been  to  avoid  commitment  whenever  pos- 
sible, in  accordance  with  the  principles  set  forth  by  the  Wliite  House 
Conference  of  1909  that  "  Children  of  worthy  parents  or  deserving 
mothers  should,  as  a  rule,  be  kept  with  their  parents  at  home  "  and 
that  "  Homeless  and  neglected  children,  if  normal,  should  be  cared 
for  in  families,  when  practicable."  ^^  The  court  has  been  hampered 
in  carrying  out  this  policy  b}-  the  fact  that  there  has  been  no  public 
money  available  for  the  support  of  children  in  boarding  homes  and 
the  resources  of  private  agencies  have  been  inadequate.  Under  these 
circumstances  the  court  has  been  forced  to  commit  to  institutions 

"  Hurd's  Illinois  Revised  Statutes,  1919,  ch.  23,  sec.  175. 
^-  See  p.  3. 

>3Hurd's  Illinois  Revised  Statutes,  1919,  ch.  122,  sees.  320-347. 
"  Ibid.,  ch.  23,  sec.   185. 

15  I'roceedings  of  the  Conference  on  the  Care  of  Dependent  Children,  Held  at  Wash- 
ington, D.  C,  Jan.  25,  26,  1909,  p.  8.     Washing-ton,   1909. 


THE    COURT   OEDER.  87 

children  whom  it  was  necessary  to  separate  from  their  parents, 
nnless  the  separation  promised  to  be  of  such  lon^  duration  that  more 
or  less  permanent  placing  in  a  family  home  was  possible. 

When  the  parent  or  parents  are  financially  able  to  contribute  to 
the  support  of  their  children  in  an  institution  the  court  has  authority 
to  order  the  payment  of  a  stated  sum  each  month. ^'^  This  money  is 
not  paid  directly  to  the  institution,  but  to  the  clerk  of  the  court  and  is 
turned  over  by  him  to  the  county  treasurer,  who  pays  the  institution. 
If  parents  fail  to  make  the  payments  ordered,  they  may  be  brought 
before  the  court  on  contempt  proceedings  and  punished  by  commit- 
ment to  the  county  jail.  The  process,  however,  is  cumbersome, 
and  enforcement  of  orders  by  this  means  is  very  difficult.  In  recent 
years  the  major  part  of  the  time  of  one  officer  has  been  devoted  to 
this  work,  with  the  result  that  collections  on  orders  for  sujDport  of 
children,  either  under  guardianship  or  in  institutions,  have  increased 
from  $1,107.66  in  1912  to  $48,513.84  in  1920.i^ 

Delinquent  hoys. — Two  public  institutions  are  available  for  the 
care  of  delinquent  boys,  one  the  St.  Charles  School  for  Boys,  main- 
tained by  the  State,  and  the  other  the  Chicago  and  Cook  County 
School  for  Boys,  jointly  maintained  by  the  city  of  Chicago  and  by 
Cook  County.  The  policy  of  the  court  is  against  commitment  of 
first  offenders  except  for  the  most  serious  offenses,  and  against  com- 
mitment until  the  boy  has  been  given  every  chance  to  make  good 
under  some  other  treatment.  Boys  who  have  committed  serious 
offenses  and  frequent  repeaters  are  sent  to  the  St.  Charles  School  for 
Boys  for  an  indefinite  period  that  may  legally  extend  through  minor- 
ity unless  the  boy  is  previously  released.  For  first  commitments  or 
in  cases  of  less  serious  nature  the  boy  is  usually  sent  to  the  Chicago 
and  Cook  County  School  for  Boys,  where  the  period  of  detention 
is  shorter,  varying  from  a  few  weeks  to  perhaps  a  year,  depending 
upon  behavior. 

The  Chicago  and  Cook  County  School  for  Boys  was  established  in 
1915  to  take  the  place  of  the  John  AVorthy  School  in  the  house  of 
correction.  It  will  be  recalled  that  separate  housing  of  the  boys 
committed  to  the  house  of  correction  had  first  been  brought  about. 
Later  a  school  in  the  confines  of  the  institution  was  organized  and 
the  segregation  of  the  boys  was  effected.  In  1915  the  use  of  that 
school  was  replaced  by  commitment  to  a  farm  school. 

Table  XIV  shows  the  number  of  boys  committed  to  these  various 
institutions  in  each  of  the  years  1915-1919. 

»«  Hurd'i?  Illinois  Revised  Statutes,  1010,  cli.  23,  sec.  100. 
"  Charity  Service  Reports,  Cook  County,  Ul.,  1920,  p.  240. 


THE    CHICAGO    JUVENHjE    COURT. 


Table  XIV. — Institution  to  tohicli  committed.,  dy  year;  cases  of  delinquent  ioys 
commiitted  to  institutions,  1915-1919} 


Cases  of  delinquent  boys  committed  to  institutions. 

Total. 

1915 

1916 

1917 

1918 

1919 

Total                                          

2,603 

425 

379 

453 

493 

853 

Chicago  and  Cook  County  School 

1,130 

166 

1,307 

3 

166 
256 

153 

202 

252 

520 

John  Worthy  School 

226 

251 

241 

333 

Figures  for  fiscal  years  ending  Nov.  30.     Charity  Service  Reports,  Cook  Count 
5-1919.     For  1920  the  figures  are:  Chicago  and  Cook  County  School,  444;  St.  C: 


7,    111., 

larles, 
193.     For  1921  they  are  :  Chicago  and  Cook  County  School,  460  ;  St.  Charles,  178. 

About  60  per  cent  of  the  commitments  in  1919  were  to  the  Chi- 
cag^o  and  Cook  County  School,  the  remainder  to  St.  Charles. 

Delinquent  girls. — Delinquent  girls  may  be  committed  to  one  of 
three  institutions,  the  State  Training  School  for  Girls  at  Geneva, 
the  House  of  the  Good  Shepherd — a  Catholic  home — and  the  Chicago 
Home  for  Girls,  Protestant,  though  nondenominational.  The  last 
two  receive  per  diem  payments  from  the  city  of  40  cents  a  day  for 
each  girl,  paid  through  the  city  house  of  correction.  Only  girls 
from  the  city  would  be  sent  to  either  of  these  institutions.  The 
Chicago  Home  for  Girls  also  receives  a  considerable  sum  from  private 
contributions. 

Table  XV  gives  the  number  of  girls  committed  to  each  of  these 
institutions  in  the  five  years,  1915-1919. 

Table  XV. — Institution  to  ivMch  committed,  by  year;  cases  of  delinquent  girls 
committed  to  institutions,  1915-1919} 


Cases  of  delinquent  girls  committed  to  institutions. 

Total. 

1915 

1916 

1917 

1918 

1919 

Total 

1,333 

257 

210 

2,9 

286            301 

Chicago  Home  for  Girls 

234 
439 
660 

54 
81 
122 

40 
61 
109 

57 
85 
137 

44  1            33 

State  Training  School  for  Girls  at  Geneva 

97            115 

145  !          147 

1  Figures  for  fiscal  years  ending  Nov.  30.  Charity  Service  Reports,  Cook  County.  111., 
1915-1919.  For  1920  the  figures  are:  Chicago  Home  for  Girls,  31;  Geneva,  84;  House 
of  the  Good  Shepherd,  100.  For  1921  they  are  :  Chicago  Home  for  Girls,  54  ;  Geneva,  50; 
House  of  the  Good  Shepherd,  182. 

With  certain  exceptions,  delinquent  girls  are  sent  to  the  State 
school  in  only  the  more  serious  cases.  About  60  per  cent  of  them 
were  committed  in  1919  to  the  Chicago  Home  for  Girls  and  the  House 
of  the  Good  Shepherd.  The  State  school  will  not  receive  pregnant 
girls  and  these  are  committed  to  the  Chicago  Home  for  Girls. 

Transfer  to  the  criminal  court. 

The  juvenile-court  law  jirovides  that  the  court  may  in  its  discretion 
permit  a  delinquent  child  to  be  proceeded  against  in  accordance  with 


THE    COURT   ORDER. 


89 


the  laws  of  the  State  governing  the  commission  of  crimes  or  violations 
of  city  ordinances.^^  This  authority  has  been  exercised  in  serious 
cases  mvolving  a  few  boys  each  year.  The  delinquent  petition  is 
dismissed,  and  the  boy  is  held  to  the  grand  jury  for  indictment  on  a 
criminal  charge.  In  Table  XVI  the  number  of  such  cases  is  given 
for  each  year  since  1915. 

Table  X\l.— Cases  held  to  the  grand  jury  by  the  jiwenile  conrt,  hy  year;  de- 
linquent hoys,  1915-1919} 


Cases  of  delinquent  boys. 

Year. 

Total. 

Held  to  the  grand 
jury. 

Number. 

Percent. 

Total 

11, 799 

70 

0  6 

1915. 

2,326 
2,192 
2,328 
2,306 
2,647 

24 
25 
7 
2 
12 

1  0 

1916 

1917 

0  3 

1918 

1919 

1  Figures  for  fiscal  years  ending  Nov.  30.  Charity  Service  Reports,  Cook  County,  111., 
1915-1919.     In  1920,  17  cases  were  held  to  the  grand  jury  ;  in  1921,  6. 

The  proportion  of  cases  disposed  of  in  this  manner  as  compared 
with  all  cases  of  delinquent  boys  appears  from  Table  XVI  to  be 
A^ery  small,  less  than  1  per  cent  during  the  five-year  period  1915- 
1919.  All  these  boys  were  at  least  16  years  of  age.  Many  had  beeri 
tried  on  probation  or  had  been  at  one  time  committed  to  institutions 
for  delinquent  boys.  A  few  had  never  been  in  court  before  but  were 
nearly  17.  The  offenses  charged  were  for  the  most  part  deeds  of 
violence,  daring  holdups,  carrying  guns,  thefts  of  considerable 
amounts,  and  rape.  The  decision  of  the  judge  in  these  cases  usually 
depends  upon  his  belief  that  the  boy  is  too  experienced  in  w^rong- 
doing  to  be  manageable  in  the  State  institution  for  delinquent  boys 
and  that  he  should  therefore  be  committed  to  the  State  reformatory 
established  for  boys  between  16  and  26.  A  boy  can  not,  however, 
be  committed  to  this  institution  under  the  juvenile-court  law  but 
must  be  transferred  to  a  court  having  criminal  jurisdiction.  The 
judge  is  also  cognizant  of  the  fact  that  in  many  of  these  cases  the 
officers  of  the  court  have  tried  for  some  time  and  have  failed  to  effect 
any  change  in  the  boys.  No  detailed  study  of  these  cases  has  been 
possible.  The  following  paragraphs,  however,  indicate  the  type  of 
case  dealt  with  by  transfer  to  the  criminal  court : 

George  J.  had  never  been  in  court  before.  With  three  other  boys  carrying 
a  gun  he  held  up  a  man  and  stole  an  automobile.  The  same  week  he  and  an- 
other boy  robbed  a  store,  using  force  with  the  storekeeper.  He  was  held  to 
the  grand  .iury  under  $10,000  bond.  The  other  boys  were  committed  to  the 
St.  Charles  School  for  Boys. 

»8  Kurd's  Illinois  Revised  Statutes  1919,  eh.  23,  sec.  177a. 

88005"— 22 7 


90  THE    CHICAGO    JUVENILE    COURT. 

Tony  M.  had  been  previously  committed  to  the  Chicago  Parental  School,  to 
the  Chicago  and  Cook  County  School  for  Boys,  and  to  the  St.  Charles  School 
for  Boys.     He  was  involved  in  two  robberies,  one  the  theft  of  an  automobile. 

Alex  B.  had  previously  been  committed  to  the  Chicago  and  Cook  County 
School  for  Boys.     He  was  accused  of  rape. 

Joseph  G.  had  once  shot  another  boy  and  had  been  in  the  Chicago  and  Cook 
County  School  for  Boys.     He  was  involved  with  several  other  boys  in  a  holdup, 

William  M.  had  been  known  to  the  court  for  four  years.  He  and  another 
boy  with  a  revolver  held  up  a  man  and  took  an  automobile  and  a  watch.  The 
same  night  they  held  up  a  man  and  woman  and  took  another  watch  and  some 
money. 

Herman  S.  had  never  been  in  court  before.  He  was  involved  in  two  holdups, 
one  with  a  gun. 

Other  procedure  in  cases  of  delinquent  children. 

Besides  the  methods  of  disposing  of  cases  of  delinquent  children 
especially  provided  by  law  and  included  in  the  official  reports  of  the 
court,  other  methods  of  treatment  are  sometimes  used,  usually  to  sup- 
plement an  order  specified  in  the  law. 

The  detention  home  is  theoretically  a  place  for  safe-keeping  pend- 
ing hearing  and  not  a  place  for  detention  as  a  punishment.  In  rare 
instances,  however,  during  the  service  of  a  temporary  judge,  children 
have  been  sent  to  the  detention  home  during  short  continuances  as  a 
disciplinary  measure. 

Restitution  for  damages  is  another  form  of  procedure  not  con- 
templated by  the  law.  Fines  as  such  are  never  imposed,  but  in  case 
of  theft  a  boy  is  not  infrequently  required  to  make  good  the  actual 
pecuniary  loss ;  and  this  practice  of  the  court  is  sometimes  extended 
to  other  offenses  besides  stealing.  In  one  instance  noted  a  boy  was 
required  to  pay  the  doctor's  bill  of  the  boy  he  had  stabbed.  In 
another,  a  boy  who  had  accidentally  shot  a  companion  was  ordered 
to  pay  $2.50  a  week  until  he  had  paid  $20,  the  money  to  be  given 
to  the  family  of  the  injured  child.  The  boys  required  to  make  resti- 
tution are  all  of  working  age  and  the  amount  ordered  is  paid  in 
weekly  installments  at  the  office  of  the  chief  probation  officer.  A 
check  is  then  mailed  to  the  person  who  is  to  receive  the  money. 
During  1920  the  chief  probation  officer  received  and  paid  out  $3,706.23 
in  this  manner.^^ 

«  Charity  Service  Reports,  Cook  County,  III.,,  1920,  p.  241. 


SUBESEQUENT    RELATIONSHIP    OF    THE    COURT,    THE 
CHILD,  AND  THE  CUSTODIAL  AGENCY. 

The  problem  of  retaining  jurisdiction  after  a  final  order  has  been 
entered  placing  a  child  under  the  care  of  persons  other  than  officers 
of  the  court  is  one  of  very  real  significance ;  it  is,  however,  a  problem 
that  has  not  as  yet  been  satisfactorily  dealt  with  in  Illinois.  If 
jurisdiction  over  the  child  is  to  continue,  the  court  must  be  able  to 
exercise  its  authority  in  three  ways :  (1)  By  inspection  or  visitation 
to  make  sure  that  the  child  is  receiving  the  proper  treatment  and  is 
returned  to  his  own  home  at  the  earliest  possible  moment;  (2)  by 
requiring  from  the  custodial  agency  regular  reports  showing  the 
disposition  of  each  child  under  its  care;  and  (3)  by  the  exclusive 
power  of  release.  Under  the  Illinois  law,  as  at  present  interpreted, 
the  court  does  not  possess  complete  authority  to  exercise  any  of  these 
powers. 

The  following  provisions  of  the  juvenile-court  law  apply  alike  to 
dependent,  neglected,  and  delinquent  children  whether  committed 
to  the  care  of  a  guardian,  to  an  institution,  or  to  an  association : 

The  guardianship  ^  nnder  this  act  shall  continue  until  the  court  shall  by 
further  order  otherwise  direct,  but  not  after  such  child  shall  have  reached  the 
age  of  21  years.  Such  child  or  any  person  interested  in  such  child  may  from 
time  to  time  upon  a  proper  showing  apply  to  the  court  for  the  appointment  of 
a  new  guardian  or  the  restoration  of  such  child  to  the  custody  of  its  parents 
or  for  the  discharge  of  the  guardian  so  appointed.' 

Whenever  it  shall  appear  to  the  court  before  or  after  the  appointment  of  a 
guardian  *  *  *  ^hat  the  home  of  the  child  is  a  suitable  place  *  *  * 
the  court  may  enter  an  order  to  that  eifect  returning  such  child  to  his  home 
under  probation,  parole,  or  otherwise.  *  *  *  Provided,  however,  That  no 
such  order  shall  be  entered  without  first  giving  10  days'  notice  to  the  guardian, 
institution,  or  association  to  whose  care  such  child  has  been  committed,  unless 
such  guardian,  institution,  or  association  consents  to  such  order.' 

The  court  may,  from  time  to  time,  cite  into  court  the  guardian,  institution, 
or  association  to  whose  care  any  dependent,  neglected,  or  delinquent  child  has 
been  awarded,  and  require  him  or  it  to  make  a  full,  true,  and  perfect  report  as 
to  his  or  its  doings  in  behalf  of  such  child ;  and  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  such 

1  Whenever  a  child  is  committed  to  an  institution,  the  head  of  that  Institution  is  ap- 
pointed guardian.  This  should  not  be  confused  with  the  appointment  of  a  reputable 
citizen  as  guardian,  which  is  an  order  quite  distinct  from  commitment.  Guardianship 
in  the  provision  quoted  means  custody  in  general,  whether  that  of  a  guardian,  institution, 
or  association. 

»  Hurd's  Illinois  Revised  Statutes  1919,  ch.  23,  sec.  177c. 

-■>  Ibid.,   ch.  23,   sec.   177d. 

91 


92  THE   CHICAGO    JUVENmE   COUET. 

guardian,  institution,  or  association,  witliin  10  days  after  such  citation,  to 
malie  such  report  either  in  writing  verified  by  affidavit,  or  verbally  under  oath 
in  open  court,  or  otherwise  as  the  court  shall  direct;  and  upon  the  hearing  of 
such  report,  with  or  without  further  evidence,  the  court  may,  if  it  see  fit,  remove 
such  guardian  and  appoint  another  in  his  stead,  or  take  such  child  away  from 
such  institution  or  association  and  place  it  in  another,  or  restore  such  child  to 
the  custody  of  its  parents  or  former  guardian  or  custodian.* 

With  regard  to  associations  it  is  provided  that — 

The  court  may  at  any  time  require  from  any  association,  receiving  or  desiring 
to  receive,  children  under  the  provision  of  this  act,  such  reports,  information, 
and  statements  as  the  judge  shall  deem  proper  or  necessary  for  his  action,  and 
the  court  shall  in  no  case  be  required  to  commit  a  child  to  any  association 
whose  standing,  conduct,  or  care  of  children,  or  ability  to  care  for  the  same, 
is  not  satisfactory  to  the  court.^ 

These  provisions  of  the  juvenile  court  law  seem  to  establish  the 
following  principles  with  regard  to  the  court's  jurisdiction:  (1) 
Any  disposition  ordered  by  the  court  may  be  terminated  only  by  a 
subsequent  order  of  the  court — that  is,  the  court  has  sole  authority  to 
release ;  (2)  any  person  may  reopen  the  case  by  petition  to  the  court ; 
(3)  the  court  may  remove  a  child  from  custody  with  the  consent  of 
the  guardian,  institution,  or  association,  or  after  10  days'  notice  may 
remove  the  child  without  such  consent;  (4)  the  court  may  require  a 
report  from  the  custodian  with  regard  to  a  particular  child  and  may, 
with  or  without  further  evidence,  remove  the  child  from  such  cus- 
tody; and  (5)  the  court  may  at  any  time  require  such  information  as 
it  desires  from  an  association  receiving  children  under  the  juvenile 
court  law.  These  principles  seem  to  give  to  the  court  a  fair  amount 
of  control  over  the  ultimate  disposition  of  the  child.  The  application 
of  these  principles  formulated  in  the  juvenile  court  law  is,  however, 
modified  by  the  interpretation  of  the  laws  relating  to  State  institu- 
tions for  delinquent  children  and  of  the  laws  establishing  industrial 
and  manual-training  schools  for  dependent  children.  Moreover,  in 
some  instances,  even  when  the  juvenile  court's  jurisdiction  has  ap- 
peared to  be  clear,  the  court  has  hesitated  to  press  a  claim  against 
the  opposition  of  an  important  and  influential  institution. 

THE  COURT  AND  THE  GUARDIAN. 

The  question  of  the  court's  relation  to  the  "  reputable  citizen  "  ap- 
pointed as  guardian  is  probably  the  least  difficult  both  in  theory  and 
practice  of  the  questions  presented  by  these  sections  of  the  law.  The 
policy  of  the  court  in  this  matter  is  in  fact  determined  not  so  much 
by  a  principle  of  law  as  by  a  question  of  expediency.  Judge  Pinck- 
ney  stated  in  1911  before  the  county  civil  service  commission®  that 

<  Kurd's  Illinois  Revised  Statutes,  1919,  sec.   177e. 
»  Ibid.,  sec.  181. 

«  Testimony  of  Judge  Pinckney  in  Breckinridge,  S.  P.,  and  Abbott,  E.  :  The  Delinquent 
Child  and  the  Home,  Charities  Publication  Committee,  New  York,  1912,  p.  213. 


SUBSEQUENT  RELATION    OF    CHILD   TO    COURT.  93 

such  citizens  were  chosen  because  of  their  reputable  character  and 
their  recognized  ability  to  care  for  the  child  and  that  interference  by 
a  probation  officer  or  other  representative  of  the  court  would  seriously 
impair  their  service.  The  practice  of  appointing  reputable  citizens 
outside  the  court  has,  moreover,  fallen  into  disuse  almost,  in  recent 
years,  and,  as  previously  stated,  the  citizens  usually  appointed  are  the 
head  of  the  child-placing  division  and  the  head  of  the  delinquent 
boys'  division,  who  are  directly  responsible  to  the  chief  probation 
officer. 

THE  COURT  AND  THE  INSTITUTION. 

The  control  exercised  by  the  court  over  children  placed  in  institu- 
tions is  more  limited  than  that  over  children  placed  under  guardian- 
ship. 

Institutions  for  delinquent  children. 

In  the  case  of  institutions  for  delinquent  children  none  of  the  prin- 
ciples formulated  above  are  held  to  apply.  The  Cook  County  board 
of  visitors  in  1912  reported  on  the  question  of  release  from  these 
institutions  as  follows : 

The  relation  of  the  juvenile  court  to  the  two  State  institutions  for  delinquent 
children  is  governed  definitely  by  statute.  The  custody  during  minority  of  every 
child  committed  to  either  of  these  institutions  passes  to  the  institution  at  the 
time  of  commitment.  The  responsibility  for  the  child's  care,  training,  and  super- 
vision rests  with  the  institution.  The  length  of  stay  of  a  boy  in  St.  Charles 
School  for  Boys  is  determined  by  the  superintendent  and  State  board  of  ad- 
ministration, and  so  with  the  State  Training  School  for  Girls.^ 

The  act  establishing  the  St.  Charles  School  for  Boys*  contains  no 
reference  to  the  manner  of  permanent  release,  although  it  is  provided 
that  the  board  of  trustees  may  make  such  provisions  as  it  sees  fit  as  to 
placing  boys  in  homes,  obtaining  employment  for  them,  or  returning 
them  to  their  own  homes.  The  act  providing  for  the  establishment 
of  the  State  Training  School  for  Girls  at  Geneva  provides  not  only 
for  parole  but  for  permanent  release  by  the  governor  of  the  State  or 
by  the  board  of  trustees.** 

As  a  matter  of  fact  these  two  institutions  and  the  Chicago  and 
Cook  County  School  for  Boys  ^°  parole  children  without  reporting  to 
the  court,  and  a  violation  of  parole  may  mean  return  to  the  institu- 
tion without  another  appearance  in  court.  The  State  institutions  are 
required  by  law  to  appoint  agents  to  visit  and  supervise  children  re- 
leased on  parole.  Permanent  releases  are  made  by  these  institutions 
without  the  knowledge  of  the  court.     They  are  also  in  some  cases 

"  Report  of  the  County  Board  of  Visitors  of  Cook  County,  HI.,  for  the  year  ending 
Nov.  30,  1912,  p.  22. 

6  Kurd's  Illinois  Revised  Statutes  1919,  ch.  23,  aecs.  191-215. 

»  Ibid.,  sec.  236. 

ii- Established  in  1015. 


94  THE   CHICAGO   JUVENILE   COURT. 

made  by  the  court  at  the  request  of  a  parent  or  guardian  after  notice 
to  the  institution. 

A  somewhat  different  situation  exists  with  regard  to  the  court's 
relationship  to  private  institutions  receiving  the  custody  of  delin- 
quent children.  The  authority  of  these  institutions  is  defined  only  by 
the  juvenile  court  law,  not  by  separate  acts  such  as  those  which  gov- 
ern the  State  schools  for  delinquent  children.  The  power  of  a  private 
institution  to  parole  a  child  without  consulting  the  court  is  not  ques- 
tioned, but  the  juvenile  court  law  provides  for  the  appointment  by 
the  institution  of  an  agent  to  visit  homes  in  which  children  are  pa- 
roled "  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  and  reporting  to  said  court 
whether  they  are  suitable  homes."  "  The  law  evidently  contemplated 
such  control  on  the  part  of  the  court  over  homes  in  which  children  are 
placed  by  the  institutions  as  may  be  exercised  through  visitation  of 
those  homes. 

In  the  matter  of  permanent  release  by  private  institutions  some 
conflict  of  opinion  exists.  The  chief  probation  officer  made  an  effort 
in  1918  to  secure  an  agreement  on  the  part  of  the  private  institutions 
to  release  children  only  through  the  court,  but  one  institution,  on 
legal  advice,  maintained  its  right  under  the  law  to  effect  permanent 
releases  without  court  action ;  the  assistant  State's  attorney  assigned 
at  the  time  to  the  juvenile  court,  concurred  in  this  opinion  of  the  in- 
stitution's authority,  and  the  effort  was  pushed  no  further.  Another 
view  of  the  law  is  at  least  possible,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  a  more 
liberal  view  of  the  court's  power  may  find  the  opportunity  of  sub- 
mitting the  matter  to  judicial  determination  by  the  higher  court,  so 
that  the  juvenile  court's  claim  of  continuing  jurisdiction  over  the 
child  and  exclusive  authority  permanently  to  release  a  child  from  a 
private  institution  may  be  affirmed,  or,  if  finally  denied  by  the  court, 
obtained  through  amendment  of  the  law. 

The  authority  to  require  reports  ^-  has  never  been  interpreted  by 
the  court  as  applying  to  public  institutions,  nor  has  the  court  had 
any  power  of  visitation  and  inspection.  Public  institutions  receiv- 
ing delinquent  children  are  subject  to  the  inspection  and  control  of 
the  Illinois  Department  of  Public  Welfare,  and  private  institutions 
must  be  certified  by  the  same  body. 

Institutions  for  dependent  children. 

More  serious  difficulties  have  been  met  with,  however,  in  retaining 
jurisdiction  over  dependent  children.  The  institutions  receiving 
these  children  are  more  numerous  than  those  receiving  delinquents, 
and  all  are  under  private  management. 

i»  Hurd's  Illinois  Revis<,-d  Statutes  1919,  ch.  23,  sec.  180. 
12  See  p.  96. 


SUBSEQUENT  RELATION    OF   CHILD   TO    COURT.  95 

The  apparent  intent  of  the  juvenile  court  law  was  to  limit  release 
to  the  court  and  to  subject  all  institutions  receiving;  dependent  chil- 
dren to  a  certain  amount  of  control  by  the  court.^^  It  was  specifically 
provided,^^  however,  that  the  juvenile  court  law  should  not  in  any 
way  conflict  with  the  earlier  laws  providing  for  the  establishment  of 
the  industrial  and  manual-training  schools.^^  These  acts  provided 
for  discharge  at  any  time  by  the  court  committing,  with  the  restric- 
tion in  the  case  of  the  industrial  schools  that  the  power  could  be  ex- 
ercised only  if  the  girl  was  still  in  the  school.  But  the  acts  also  pro- 
vided ^^  that  any  girl  committed  to  an  industrial  school  or  any  boy 
committed  to  a  training  school  might  be  "  discharged  therefrom  at 
any  time,  in  accordance  with  the  rules  thereof,  where,  in  the  judgment 
of  the  officers  and  trustees,  the  good  of  the  girl  (or  boy)  or  the  school 
would  be  promoted  by  such  discharge,"  and  discharge  might  also  be 
ordered  by  the  governor  of  the  State,  The  industrial  and  manual- 
training  schools  have  therefore  claimed  the  right  to  dispose  of  chil- 
dren without  reference  to  the  court.  As  early  as  1907  the  chief  pro- 
bation officer  pointed  out "  that  this  procedure  had  already  in  many 
cases  rendered  ineffectual  the  work  of  the  court,  since  children  were 
returned  almost  immediately  to  homes  that  the  court  had  declared 
unfit  for  them.  An  effort  was  made  at  tliat  time  to  prevent  the  con- 
tinuance of  this  practice  by  informal  agreement  with  the  institution, 
but  the  effort  was  unsuccessful.  In  1912  the  Hotchkiss  committee, 
after  investigating  the  relationship  of  the  court  and  the  institutions, 
made  the  same  criticism  and  proposed  the  following  remedy : 

The  law  should  be  so  am"ended  as  to  make  each  institution  responsible  to 
the  court  at  least  for  continued  custody  of  every  child  committed  to  its  care. 
In  case  a  child  escapes  from  such  custody  notice  should  at  once  be  filed  with 
the  court  which  should  then  have  power  to  institute  appropriate  measures  for 
the  child's  apprehension.  The  return  of  a  child  without  court  consent  to  an 
environment  which  the  court  has  just  found  to  he  unfit  is  a  humiliating 
travesty  on  judicial  procedure,  and  is  in  no  way  necessary  to  uphold  the 
autonomy  of  institutions." 

While  there  has  been  no  amendment  in  accordance  with  these  sug- 
gestions the  practice  of  the  industrial  schools  has  in  the  last  few 
years  been  somewhat  modified.  For  a  great  many  years  the  institu- 
tions had  been  represented  at  the  court  by  police  officers,  commis- 
sioned as  probation  officers,  whose  primary  duty  it  was  to  convey  to 
their  respective  institutions  the  children  committed.     In  1917  these 

"  See  pp.  91-92  for  provisions  applying  to  these  Institutions. 

"  Hurd's  niinois  Revised  Statutes  1919,  ch.  23,  sec.  188. 

^''  Ibid.,  ch.  122,  sees.  333a  and  347. 

1"  Ibid.,  ch.  122,  sees.  332  and  345.  The  words  of  the  two  acts  ai-e  practically  identical 
in  these  sections. 

'^  Charity  Service  Report,  Cook  County,  II!.,  1907,  p.   123. 

i*^  The  .Tuveiiile  Court  of  Cook  County,  111.  Report  of  a  Committee  Appointed  under 
Resolution  of  the  Board  of  Commissioners  of  Cook  County,  p.  17.     Chicago,   1912. 


96  THE   CHICAGO   JUVENILE   COURT. 

officers  were  removed  by  the  general  superintendent  of  police  at  the 
time  of  a  reorganization  of  the  police  department  which  abolished 
"  special  details."  The  police  department  felt  that  the  work  which 
these  officers  performed  could  not  strictly  be  called  police  work. 
Several  of  the  institution  superintendents  felt  that  the  institutions 
should  not  bear  the  expense  of  an  officer  to  convey  children  to  the 
institution  following-  commitment.  In  the  emergency  the  court  dealt 
directly  with  the  managing  officers  of  institutions  until  some  plan 
for  institutional  representation  at  the  court  should  be  worked  out. 
The  court  had  already  made  a  first  step  in  dealing  directly  with  the 
institutions  through  the  inauguration  of  an  effort  during  the  pre- 
vious year  to  keep  in  touch  with  dependent  children  committed  to 
institutions.  To  the  officer  in  charge  of  this  work  was  assigned  the 
new  task  of  making  arrangements  with  the  institution  authorities 
for  the  admission  of  children,  conveying  children  to  the  institutions, 
and  conducting  correspondence  in  matters  relating  to  the  welfare  of 
the  children.  This  plan  still  continues  in  effect,  and  the  result  has 
been  most  satisfactory  to  both  the  court  and  the  institutions.  Mis- 
understandings which  were  almost  inevitable  when  transactions  were 
made  through  a  third  person  have  to  a  large  extent  disappeared. 

Moreover,  in  January,  1917,  Judge  Arnold  obtained  from  the  super- 
intendents of  the  industrial  and  manual-training  schools,  whom  he 
had  called  together  for  conference,  an  agreement  to  give  the  court 
10  days'  notice  of  an  intended  discharge  or  parole.  The  court  was 
in  this  way  given  an  opportunity  to  make  an  investigation  and  to 
suggest  any  plans  it  deemed  advisable  in  connection  with  the  dis- 
position of  the  child.  This  arrangement  has  resulted  in  closer  coopera- 
tion between  the  court  and  the  institutions,  though  the  schools  have 
not  always  rigidly  adhered  to  the  agreement. 

The  power  to  require  reports  from  these  institutions,  as  interpreted 
by  the  court,"  is  limited  to  specific  instances  in  which  complaint 
has  been  made  with  regard  to  particular  institutions.  Thus  the 
court  does  not  have  the  authority  to  require  periodic  reports  from 
institutions  concerning  their  general  organization  or  their  disposi- 
tion of  children  committed  by  the  court.  A  report  required  in  a 
specific  instance  may  be  made  under  oath  and  is  not  subject  to  veri- 
fication by  representatives  of  the  court.  For  assurance  that  the  in- 
stitutions are  in  general  performing  their  functions  in  a  satisfactory 
manner,  the  court  relies  upon  the  annual  certification  of  the  State 
department  of  public  welfare. 

Under  authority  of  section  18  of  the  juvenile  court  law  ^°  a  board 
of  visitation  to  inspect  institutions  receiving  children  from  the  juve- 

>"  The  interpretation  is  tliat  stated  by  Judge  Plnckney  in  1911  before  the  county  civil 
service  commission.  Later  judges  have  for  the  most  part  followed  his  interpretations  of 
the  law. 

20  Hurd's  Illinois  Itevised  Statutes  1»19,  ch.  23,  sec.  186. 


SUBSEQUENT  RELATION    OF   CHILD    TO    COURT.  97 

nile  court  may  be  appointed  by  the  county  judge.  Under  section  19 
this  power  may  be  exercised  in  counties  of  over  500,000  by  the  judge 
of  the  juvenile  court.^^  It  was  originally  held,  however,  that  this  au- 
thority lay  with  the  county  judge  alone.  Thus  during  20  years  of 
the  court's  existence  the  only  board  of  visitation  created  was  that 
appointed  by  the  county  judge  of  Cook  County  in  1911  and  lasting 
only  a  short  time.  This  board  employed  an  executive  secretary  paid 
from  private  funds  and  made  an  investigation  of  the  33  institutions 
then  receiving  children  on  commitment  from  the  juvenile  court.  The 
board  reported  to  the  county  judge  on  conditions  prevailing  during 
the  year  ended  November  30,  1911."  The  services  of  a  paid  secretary 
were  not  retained,  however,  and  the  board  ceased  to  function  after 
the  presentation  of  their  report.  In  1920  the  judge  of  the  juvenile 
court  for  the  first  time  decided  that  authority  to  appoint  such  a  board 
of  visitation  lay  within  his  powers,  and  a  board  of  two  members  was 
appointed.  One  member  was  the  former  chief  probation  officer,  who 
was  at  the  time  superintendent  of  the  United  Charities ;  the  other  was 
a  physician.  A  few  institutions  were  visited  by  these  gentlemen 
acting  as  a  board.  They  are  both  very  much  overworked  men ;  they 
had  no  secretary  nor  provision  for  clerical  help,  and  up  to  the  present 
time,  except  so  far  as  the  institutions  visited  may  have  profited  from 
suggestions  made  by  them,  no  obvioiis  results  of  the  experiment  can 
be  pointed  to. 

RECOVERY    OF    CHILDREN    WHO    ESCAPE    FROM    INSTITUTIONS. 

The  possibility  of  escape  from  an  institution  raises  the  interesting 
question  of  responsibility  for  the  recovery  of  a  runaway  child.  Two 
cases  of  runaway  children  were  among  the  records  read  for  this  study. 
A  16-year-old  boy  who  had  been  committed  to  the  Chicago  and  Cook 
County  School  for  Boys  ran  away  from  the  school.  A  letter  was 
received  by  the  court  from  a  social  agency  in  a  town  in  a  neighboring 
State  saying  that  the  boy  was  being  held  in  the  county  jail  there. 
The  juvenile  court  replied  that  the  parents  refused  to  pay  his  return 
transportation ;  and  since  the  school  had  no  funds  for  this  purpose, 
the  social  agency  would  have  to  dispose  of  him  as  best  it  could. 

The  other  case  is  that  of  a  14-year-old  delinquent  girl.  She  had 
once  run  away  from  home  with  a  woman  of  questionable  character, 
taking  $195  from  her  mother  and  going  to  Mississippi.  Her  mother 
had  sent  her  money  to  return.  When  she  ran  away  a  second  time,  the 
mother  appealed  to  the  court,  and  the  girl  was  found  in  Chicago.  She 
was  then  committed  to  the  State  Training  School  for  Girls  at  Geneva, 
and  after  eight  months  escaped  from  the  institution.    A  month  later 

■^  Hurd's  Illinois  Revised   Statutes,   1919,  sec.   187. 

"  Report  of  the  County  Board  of  Visitors  of  Cook  County,  HI.,  for  the  year  ending 
Nov.  30,  1911.     Chicago,   ir»12. 


98  THE    CHICAGO    JUVENH^E    COURT. 

the  mother  received  a  letter  from  a  probation  officer  in  a  Mississippi 
town  asking  for  authority  to  place  the  girl  in  the  house  of  correction. 
The  mother  notified  the  court,  and  the  court  in  turn  informed  the 
authorities  at  the  institution  of  the  situation.  These  authorities  re- 
quested the  probation  officer  in  Mississippi  to  take  her  into  custody 
and  sent  the  court  a  notice  of  this  action,  saying,  "  if  we  are  able  to 
return  her  to  the  school,  we  will  notify  you." 

In  neither  of  these  cases,  then,  did  the  court  exercise  the  right  to 
deal  independently  with  the  child  but  rather  treated  the  costs  of  secur- 
ing the  return  as  a  burden  to  be  borne  by  the  institution. 

The  expense  incurred  by  a  public  authority  of  another  locality 
within  the  State  in  returning  these  children  to  their  homes  could 
presumably  be  collected  as  a  charge  against  Cook  County.  In  practice 
this  collection  is  not  made,  but  Cook  County  often  bears  the  expense 
of  returning  to  their  homes  runaway  children  from  other  counties.^^ 
The  court  itself,  however,  and  the  institutions  from  which  they  escape 
seem  to  be  unable  to  authorize  such  expenditure  or  to  expedite  in  any 
way  the  transfer  of  "the  children. 

FOLLOWING  UP  THE  DEPENDENT  CHILD  AND  HIS   FAMILY. 

Since  February,  1916,  the  court  has  made  an  effort  to  keep  in  touch 
with  families  of  dependent  children  who  have  been  committed  to  in- 
stitutions. This  work  grew  out  of  an  inquiry  conducted  by  the 
county  bureau  of  public  welfare,  which  was  established  by  the  board 
of  commissioners  of  Cook  County  in  April,  1914.  This  bureau  in- 
vestigated the  cases  of  a  number  of  children  who  had  been  in  institu- 
tions for  a  considerable  time  and  who  were  not  frequently  visited  by 
relatives.  In  some  cases  the  results  were  startling,  and  the  reunion 
of  relatives  and  children  through  the  bureau  was  in  some  cases  dra- 
matic. When  the  value  of  such  investigations  became  apparent,  the 
court  itself  took  over  this  part  of  the  work  of  the  bureau  of  public 
welfare,  and  in  February,  1916,  began  the  practice  of  assigning 
officers  to  visit  the  families  of  children  in  institutions. 

This  work  is  at  present  under  the  direction  of  the  head  of  the 
family-supervision  division  and  under  the  immediate  supervision  of 
the  assistant  to  the  head.  Investigation  and  supervision  of  families 
of  dependent  children  in  institutions  are  assigned  to  the  regular  dis- 
trict officers.    The  volume  of  work  was  very  great  when  this  system 

'^The  problem  of  the  "runaway"  to  Cook  County  (Chicago)  is  an  interesting  one. 
Six  hundred  and  eleven  such  children  were  dealt  with  by  the  probation  staff  during  tlie 
year  1919.  In  approximately  85  per  cent  of  these  cases,  the  parents  or  near  relatives 
supply  transportation  for  the  return  of  the  child.  In  those  cases  in  which,  the  relatives 
are  not  financially  able  to  do  this,  the  county  ageJit  on  i-ecommendation  of  the  court  sup- 
plies the  transportation,      (Charity  Service  Reports,  Cook  County,  111.,  1920,  pp.  241-42.) 


SUBSEQUENT  RELATION   OF   CHILD   TO   COURT.  99 

was  established;  but,  with  the  better  technique  of  investigation  of 
new  cases  developed  within  the  past  few  years,  constant  improvement 
in  the  follow-up  work  is  expected.  A  periodic  investigation  and  re- 
13ort  is  required  by  the  head  of  the  family-supervision  division  for 
every  child  in  an  institution,  the  interval  between  reports  varying 
with  the  circumstances  of  the  particular  case.  Through  this  periodic 
review  an  effort  is  made  to  restore  the  child  to  community  life,  either 
in  his  own  home  or  a  foster  home,  at  the  earliest  possible  moment. 


COOPERATION  WITH  OTHER  AGENCIES. 

SOCIAL  AGENCIES. 

As  a  case- work  agency  dealing  with  family  problems,  the  juvenile 
court  necessarily  has  relations  with  private  organizations  in  Chicago 
that  are  working  in  the  same  field. 

Attention  has  been  called  in  a  preceding  section  ^  to  the  court's 
use  of  the  confidential  exchange,  or  the  registration  bureau,  as  it 
is  called  in  Chicago,  to  learn  what  agencies  have  known  the  family 
under  investigation ;  consultation  with  these  agencies,  either  by  read- 
ing their  records  or  by  personal  interviews,  is  a  part  of  the  work  of 
investigation.  It  has  also  been  pointed  out  that  complaints  revealing 
situations  upon  which  no  court  action  can  be  taken  yet  requiring 
treatment  are  referred  by  the  court  to  an  agency  organized  to  handle 
the  particular  difficulty. 

In  other  ways,  too,  the  court  cooperates  with  outside  agencies. 
These  can  best  be  made  clear  by  a  discussion  of  the  relation  of  the 
court  with  two  agencies  with  which  perhaps  it  comes  in  closest 
contact,  namely,  the  Juvenile  Protective  Association  and  the  Jewish 
Social  Service  Bureau. 

The  Juvenile  Protective  Association  ^  is  the  successor  of  the  Ju- 
venile Court  Committee  organized  in  1899  to  pay  the  salaries  of 
probation  officers,  there  having  been  no  provision  for  salaries  in  the 
juvenile  court  law.  While  this  defect  in  the  law  was  remedied  in 
1905,^  the  committee  continued  its  support  of  four  officers  until  1909, 
when  it  was  reorganized  as  the  Juvenile  Protective  Association  and 
turned  its  attention  to  community  conditions  affecting  child  life. 
The  association,  however,  continues  its  case  work  for  the  protection 
of  children  found  in  dangerous  or  unwholesome  surroundings.  Its 
work  is  largely  with  the  same  classes  of  children  as  those  dealt  with 
by  the  court,  and  close  relations  with  the  court  are  necessary  in  order 
to  avoid  duplication  and  disagreement.  At  the  present  time  the 
division  of  work  between  the  two  organizations  is  briefly  as  follows : 
The  Juvenile  Protective  Association  confines  its  attention  to  cases 
of  a  less  serious  nature,  in  which  it  is  thought  court  action  will  prove 
to  be  unnecessary.  Cases  that  seem  to  call  for  court  action  are  re- 
ferred directly  to  the  court  without  preliminaiy  investigation  by 
the  association.  The  association  also  does  work  that  the  court  does 
not  feel  it  can  undertake,  such  as  the  investigation  of  anonymous 

1  See  p.   37. 

"  It  was  known  for  a  brief  time  as  the  Juvenile  Protective  League. 

2  See  p.  6  of  this  report. 

100 


COOPEEATION   WITH   OTHER  AGENCIES.  101 

complaints  and  work  of  a  detective  nature.  All  such  work  that 
comes  to  the  attention  of  the  court  is  turned  over  to  this  association. 
In  turning  over  cases  that  seem  too  trivial  to  require  court  action, 
the  court  uses  its  own  discretion.  If  the  situation  is  such  that  action, 
but  not  necessarily  court  action,  appears  to  be  required  at  once,  the 
case  is  ordinarily  referred  to  the  association.  If,  on  the  other  hand, 
this  does  not  become  evident  until  the  officers  of  the  court  have  made 
a  partial  or  complete  investigation,  it  is  often  thought  better  for  the 
court,  which  is  familiar  with  the  facts  and  through  its  officer  has 
established  relations  with  the  family,  to  continue  the  work.  This  is 
especially  true  if  it  seems  at  all  probable  that  court  action  may  be 
necessary  later. 

The  Juvenile  Protective  Association  on  its  side  finds  it  difficult  to 
know  immediately  what  cases  will  require  court  action.  A  condition 
seeming  to  call  only  for  friendly  supervision  may  on  further  investi- 
gation prove  to  require  more  drastic  treatment  or  one  originally  not 
serious  may  in  the  course  of  months  or  years  become  such  that  court 
action  is  necessary.  To  avoid  the  duplication  of  work  that  would 
occur  in  cases  of  this  kind  if  the  association  turned  them  over  to  the 
court  as  soon  as  it  saw  the  necessity  for  court  action,  the  court  and 
the  association  have  agreed  that  if  the  association  has  done  much 
work  on  the  case  before  court  action  is  seen  to  be  necessary  or  before 
the  case  is  referred  to  the  court  by  an  outsider,  the  association  is 
to  complete  the  investigation,  which  the  court  will  accept.  For 
this  purpose  workers  of  the  association  are  commissioned  as  volunteer 
probation  officers  by  the  juvenile  court.  In  making  their  investiga- 
tions they  are  not  subject  to  the  supervision  of  the  head  of  the 
investigation  division,  but  they  bring  cases  involving  dependent 
children  before  the  dependent-case-conference  committee  before  they 
file  petitions. 

The  court's  method  of  cooperating  with  the  agencies  that  care  for 
Jewish  families,  until  recently  known  as  the  Jewish  Aid  Society,  the 
Jewish  Home  Finding  Society  of  Chicago,  and  the  Bureau  of  Per- 
sonal 'Service  (now  organized  as  the  Jewish  Social  Service  Bureau) 
is  somewhat  different  from  its  method  of  working  with  other  agencies 
in  the  city.  The  Jewish  agencies  maintain  in  relation  to  the  court 
the  same  policy  that  they  hold  with  reference  to  most  organizations, 
namely,  that  Jewish  families  can  be  dealt  with  more  intelligently  by 
Jewish  workers  and  Jewish  organizations  and  that  these  organiza- 
tions alone  should  work  with  them.  The  court  has  acquiesced  in  this 
policy  to  a  large  extent,  and  at  the  present  time  the  great  majority 
of  Jewish  cases  are  handled  by  Jewish  agencies  with  the  power  and 
authority  of  the  court  behind  them.  All  complaints  that  are  received 
regarding  Jewish  families  are  turned  over  to  the  Jewish  Social 
Service  Bureau  for  investigation.    This  agency  investigates  and  keeps 


102  THE    CHICAGO    JUVENILE    COURT. 

a  record  of  its  work  in  its  own  office;  it  does  not,  however,  report 
to  the  court  the  details  of  the  inquiry  or  what  action  it  has  taken.^'' 
If  it  is  thought  that  court  action  is  necessary,  a  conference  is  held 
of  representatives  of  the  three  Jewish  agencies.  Dependent  cases  are 
taken  before  the  dependent  case  conference  committee  only  if  the 
action  contemplated  requires  spending  public  money  for  the  support 
of  the  child.  The  relation  of  the  officers  of  the  Jewish  agencies 
to  complaints  of  delinquent  boys  is  like  that  of  the  court  probation 
officers;  that  is,  investigation  of  delinquent  boys'  cases  is  made  by 
the  Jewish  agencies  in  those  cases  in  which  the  complaint  is  made 
directly  to  the  court ;  in  other  cases  the  police  probation  officers  in- 
vestigate the  complaint  of  Jewish  boys  as  they  investigate  cases  of 
non-Jewish  boys. 

In  cases  of  dependent  children  and  of  delinquent  girls,  if  the  court 
orders  probation  or  appoints  a  guardian,  a  representative  of  the 
Jewish  agencies  is  always  named  as  the  probation  officer  or  guardian. 
If  the  order  is  "  guardianship  with  the  right  to  place  in  a  home,"  the 
agency  makes  no  further  report  to  the  court.  If,  on  the  other  hand, 
the  order  is  probation,  the  representative  of  the  agency  is  nominally 
at  least  under  the  supervision  of  the  head  of  the  family-supervision 
division  and  submits  written  reports  to  the  court  in  accordance  with 
rules  covering  reports  on  probation  cases. 

The  court  comes  in  constant  contact  with  the  United  Charities 
since  manytases,  both  dependent  and  delinquent,  have  at  some  time 
been  known  to  that  agency.  No  formal  plan  of  cooperation  now 
exists.  At  one  time  the  society  maintained  an  officer  at  the  court, 
and  recently  one  visitor  of  the  society  was  assigned  to  all  cases  in- 
volving action  in  any  court.  These  plans,  however,  have  at  the 
present  time  been  abandoned.  The  probation  officers  are  invited  by 
the  United  Charities  to  attend  district  case  conferences  but  rarely  find 
themselves  able  to  accept  this  invitation. 

Successful  cooperation  often  depends,  of  course,  upon  the  willing- 
ness of  other  social  agencies,  both  public  and  private,  to  carry  through 
plans  initiated  by  officers  of  the  court.  The  work  of  the  court  can 
be  rendered  futile  b}^  the  failure  of  the  agency  on  which  it  must  rely 
for  special  service.  The  following  case  illustrates  the  very  great 
waste  of  effort  caused  by  such  lack  of  cooperation  on  the  part  of  an 
agency  through  which  alone  the  object  sought  by  the  court  in  behalf 
of  the  family  could  have  been  obtained. 

Three  children,  a  girl  of  7,  a  boy  of  5,  and  a  girl  of  1  year,  all  had  glandular 
tuberculosis.  Their  mother  had  an  active  case  of  pulmonary  tuberculosis.  The 
father  of  the  two  older  children  had  deserted,  and  the  baby  was  an  illegitimate 
child.    In  March,  1919,  the  case  was  placed  on  probation,  and  in  June  the  proba- 

8"  Since  July,  1921,  complete  reports  of  investigations  in  these  cases  have  been  made  to 
the  court. 


COOPEKATIOISr    WITH    OTHER  AGENCIES.  103 

tion  officer  placed  the  mother  and  her  three  children  in  a  county  tuberculosis 
sanitarium.  In  July  she  was  given  a  pass  by  the  sanitarium  to  go  to  the  juvenile 
court  with  all  the  children,  but  she  did  not  appear  in  court  and'  did  not  return 
to  the  sanitarium.  It  was  October  before  the  family  was  again  located  and  De- 
cember before  the  probation  officer  had  persuaded  the  mother  to  return  to  the 
sanitarium.  When  the  ambulance  arrived,  however,  she  escaped  with  the  baby 
through  the  back  door,  abandoning  the  two  older  children.  The  case  of  these 
two  children  was  brought  into  court  for  rehearing  on  January  7,  1920.  The 
following  is  a  brief  summary  : 

January  7,  1920 :  Case  in  court.  Continued  for  three  months  in  order  to  locate 
mother.  Children  to  be  placed  meantime  in  tuberculosis  sanitarium.  Publication 
for  mother  ordered. 

April  7,  1920 :  Case  in  court.  Mother  still  missing.  Sanitarium  will  keep 
children  for  another  three  months.    Case  continued. 

May  12,  1920:  Case  in  court.  Mother  still  not  located.  Continued'  for  publi- 
cation for  father. 

August  10,  1920:  Probation  officer  learns  from  sanitarium  that  on  July  27, 
1920.  the  children  had  been  released  to  an  uncle  who  had  come  for  them,  and  the 
sanitarium  had  no  record  of  their  whereabouts.  The  "  uncle  "  was  unknown  to 
the  court. 

August  11,  1920 :  Case  in  court.    Family  not  located.    Case  dismissed. 

RELATIONSHIP  TO  OTHER  COURTS. 

As  explained  in  an  earlier  section,  the  juvenile  court  has  no  juris- 
diction over  adults  except  in  the  matter  of  enforcing  an  order  for  the 
support  of  a  child  removed  from  its  own  home.  The  lack  of  criminal 
jurisdiction  has  two  important  results.  The  first  is  that  it  becomes 
necessary  for  the  probation  officer  handling  the  child's  case,  whenever 
court  action  against  a  parent  or  another  adult  is  needed  in  behalf  of  a 
child,  to  institute  proceedings  in  another  court.  The  second  is  that  a 
number  of  dependent  or  neglected  children  whose  parents  have  been 
prosecuted  in  another  court  by  persons  outside  the  juvenile  court 
never  come  to  the  attention  of  juvenile  probation  officers  and  never 
benefit  from  the  services  of  the  court. 

Reports  of  the  juvenile  court  contain  repeated  references  to  the  first 
of  these  difficulties  and  point  out  the  waste  involved  in  the  necessity 
of  having  to  carry  cases  into  other  courts  and  in  sometimes  having  two 
probation  officers  at  work  on  the  same  family,  one  representing  the 
adult  probation  department,  the  other  the  juvenile  court.  In  1916,  for 
example,  the  report  of  the  court  contained  the  following  statement : 

In  studying  the  records  of  dependent  children  one  can  not  help  reaching 
the  decision  that  the  present  overlapping  of  courts  in  Cook  County  is  nothing 
short  of  ridiculous.  In  the  same  case  the  parents  might  be  taken  before  the 
municipal  court  of  domestic  relations  or  the  children  before  the  juvenile  court 
of  Cook  County  or  both  parents  and  children  might  be  taken  before  the  different 
courts.  Some  day  the  courts  will  be  combined.  If  that  is  not  done  in  the 
near  future,  the  adult  and  juvenile  probation  forces  should  be  united  so  that 
the  probation  officers  will  at  least  work  under  one  head.* 

■'  Charity  Service  Reports,  Cook  County,  111.,  1916,  p.  299. 


104  THE    CHICAGO    JUVENILE    COURT. 

Neither  of  these  hopes  has  been  so  far  fulfilled,  but  the  court  has 
made  some  progress  in  its  cooperation  with  other  courts.  The 
offenses  for  which  adults  have  been  prosecuted  most  frequently  by 
juvenile  court  officers  are  those  of  contributing  to  delinquency  or 
dependency,  nonsupport,  abandonment,  adultery,  abduction,  rape, 
bastardy,  crimes  against  children,  incest,  abortion,  selling  liquor 
to  children,  and  disorderly  conduct.  Within  the  city  of  Chicago, 
most  of  these  cases  may  be  prosecuted  in  the  domestic-relations 
branch  of  the  municipal  court,  which  has  jurisdiction  in  all  criminal 
cases  except  those  punishable  by  death  or  imprisonment  in  the  peni- 
tentiary and  in  all  cases  which  may  be  transferred  to  it  by  the 
circuit,  the  superior,  and  the  criminal  courts  of  Cook  County .*»  The 
more  serious  cases  are  held  to  the  grand  jury  and  tried  in  the  crim- 
inal court  of  the  county.  In  1915  the  juvenile  court  reported  that 
72  cases  had  been  taken  into  the  criminal  court  on  charges  made 
by  wards  of  the  court.^  The  offenses  charged  in  these  cases  were 
rape  and  assault  to  rape,  41 ;  crimes  against  children,  21 ;  contrib- 
uting to  delinquency,  1 ;  incest,  4;  crime  against  nature,  1 ;  seduction, 
1 ;  inducing  female  to  enter  house  of  prostitution,  1 ;  and  harboring 
females,  etc.,  2. 

The  charges  in  348  cases  taken  into  the  court  of  domestic  relations 
during  1916  are  shown  in  Table  XVII.  The  most  frequent  charges 
by  juvenile  court  officers  in  this  court  are  contributing  to  delin- 
quency or  to  dependency,  nonsupport,  and  bastardy. 

Table  XVII. — Charge;  cases  against  adults  prosecuted  by  juvenile  court  offlcers 
in  the  court  of  domestic  relations,  year  ending  Nov.  30,  1916} 


Charge. 


Cases 
against 
adults. 


Total. 


Contributing  to  delinquency. 
Contributing  to  dependency . 

Nonsupport , 

Bastardy 

Rape 

Crimes  against  children 

Disorderly  conduct 

SeUing  liquor  to  minors 

Abortion 


1  Charity   Service  Reports,   Cook   County,   111.,   1916,   p.   300.     In   1920,   261    cases  were 
prosecuted  in  the  municipal  and  criminal  courts;  in  1921,  456  cases. 

Since  1915  an  assistant  State's  attorney  has  been  assigned  to  the 
juvenile  court  to  advise  the  probation  officers  concerning  cases  taken 
into  other  courts,  and  no  prosecution  may  be  begun  without  her  as- 
sent and  the  assurance  that  the  evidence  is  sufficient. 

""  Ilurd's  Illinois  Revised  Statutes  1919,  ch.  37,  sec.  265.     See  p.  13. 
5  Charity  Service  Reports,  Cook  County,  111.,  1915,  p.  229. 


COOPEEATION    WITH    OTHER   AGENCIES.  105 

So  long  as  cases  of  abandonment,  contributino;  to  dependency  and 
delinquency,  bastardy,  etc.,  can  be  prosecuted  without  the  children 
involved  ever  coming  to  the  attention  of  the  juvenile  court,  the  de- 
velopment of  a  uniform  policy  of  child  care  in  Chicago  is  impossible. 
The  report  of  the  court  of  domestic  relations  for  the  year  1917  ^  shows 
that  during  that  year  5,651  children  were  involved  in  3,687  cases  of 
non-support  alone.  Children  were  also  concerned  in  319  cases  of 
contributing  to  delinquency,  137  cases  of  contributing  to  dependency, 
and  435  bastardy  cases. 

No  investigation  has  been  made  as  to  the  number  of  children  under 
the  jurisdiction  of  other  Chicago  courts  who  have  never  been  brought 
to  the  attention  of  the  juvenile  court ;  but  probably  few  of  these  chil- 
dren were  known  to  the  juvenile  court.  Many  cases  heard  by  the 
court  of  domestic  relations,  however,  are  taken  into  court  by  a  social 
agency  such  as  the  United  Charities  and  the  provision  for  the  chil- 
dren and  the  supervision  of  the  family  under  such  an  agency  may 
be  as  satisfactory  as  that  possible  through  juvenile-court  action.  But 
many  dealt  with  by  the  court  of  domestic  relations  are  not  under  the 
care  of  any  social  agency. 

Formerly  a  juvenile-probation  officer  was  assigned  to  the  court  of 
domestic  relations  to  present  cases  in  that  court  and  to  receive  cases 
that  might  be  transferred  from  the  court  of  domestic  relations  to  the 
juvenile  court.  This  custom  has  been  discontinued,  however,  and 
the  cooperation  between  the  two  courts  is  far  from  complete.  Both 
courts  have  at  various  times  expressed  the  opinion  that  their  work 
should  be  combined  under  one  court  having  jurisdiction  in  all  cases 
involving  family  life.  In  a  recent  report  of  the  court  of  domestic 
relations  the  presiding  judge  expressed  the  opinion  of  that  court  as 
follows : 

As  has  been  pointed  out  before,  the  domestic-relations  branch  would  at  once 
enter  upon  a  si'eater  program  of  usefulness  to  the  public  were  the  law-divers 
to  enlarge  its  jurisdiction  to  take  in  all  matters  affecting  the  family  that  re- 
quire judicial  adjustment.  If  it  be  admitted  that  public  policy  of  the  oresent 
day  and  faultless  administrative  methods  of  justice  call  for  special  service, 
then,  obviously,  it  follows  that  such  special  courts  should  be  endowed  with 
ample  powers  to  handle  their  special  problems.  This  argument  means  that 
all  family  troubles  ought  to  be  taken  care  of  in  one  tribunal,  doing  away  with 
a  multiplicity  of  courts,  with  conflicting  interests  and  consequent  confusion, 
expense,  delay,  waste  of  time  of  litigants  and  lawyers,  armies  of  witnesses,  and 
scores  of  jury  panels.' 

It  is  obvious  that  both  the  juvenile  court  and  the  court  of  domestic 
relations  are  conscious  of  the  need  of  change  in  the  structure  of  the 

«  Trnth  and  Eleventh  Annual  Reports  of  the  Municipal  Court  of  Chicnso  for  the  years 
Dec.  (5,  1915,  to  Dec.  2,  1917,  inclusive,  p.  98. 

'  Tenth  and  Eleventh  Annual  Reports  of  the  Municipal  Court  of  Chicago,  for  the  years 
Dec.  6,  1915,  to  Dec.  2,  1917,  inclusive,  p.  97, 

88005°— 22 8 


106  THE   CHICAGO    JUVENILE    COURT. 

judicial  system,  so  that  the  work  they  may  be  said  to  share  may  be 
more  efficiently  and  satisfactorily  done.  To  determine  what  the 
nature  of  that  change  should  be  will  require  careful  examination  of 
the  constitutional  limitations  as  well  as  the  accumulation  of  a  large 
body  of  data  as  to  the  exact  nature  and  volume  of  the  service  to  be 
rendered.  The  two  courts  do  not  exercise  jurisdiction  over  the  same 
geographic  area,  as  the  jurisdiction  of  the  court  of  domestic  relations 
extends  over  the  city  only,  while  that  of  the  juvenile  court  covers 
the  entire  county.  The  court  of  domestic  relations  is  a  branch  of  the 
municipal  court,®  which  as  the  successor  of  the  earlier  justice  of  the 
peace  and  city  magistrates  court,  is  a  court  of  less  dignity  and  of 
lower  judicial  rank.  The  judges  of  the  municipal  court,  who  are 
elected  for  terms  of  six  years,  in  whose  hands  lies  the  appointment 
of  a  certain  number  of  the  members  of  the  adult  probation  depart- 
ment, have  never  adopted  the  policy  initiated  by  Judge  Pinckney  of 
making  appointments  from  an  eligible  list  prepared  by  a  nonpolitical 
expert  committee  on  the  basis  of  competitive  examination.  The 
services  of  the  adult  probation  department  are  by  the  terms  of  the 
statute  under  which  the  department  is  organized®  much  more  re- 
stricted than  those  of  the  juvenile  probation  staff,  as  they  can  be 
utilized  only  when  the  accused  has  been  convicted.  These  limita- 
tions were  discussed  at  length  in  1915  in  a  report  to  the  city  council 
by  a  committee  of  which  Prof.  Charles  E.  Merriam  was  chairman,^° 
and  conditions  remain  to-day  substantially  as  they  were  at  that  time. 
Under  the  clerk  of  the  municipal  court  a  social-service  department 
has  been  organized.  But  in  that  department  no  principle  of  selection 
corresponding  to  the  juvenile-court  examinations  has  been  applied; 
the  staff  consisted  during  1919  and  1920  of  only  seven  persons, 
though  during  the  year  1919,  16,931  complaints  were  received,  result- 
ing in  the  issuing  of  3,986  warrants,  while  in  1920,  38,441  complaints 
were  received  and  3,342  warrants  issued."  Obviously  in  the  present 
organization  of  the  court  of  domestic  relations  no  such  basis  exists 
for  the  development  of  a  general  family  court  as  might  be  found 
in  the  juvenile  court.  The  development  of  the  juvenile  court  into  a 
tribunal  competent  to  deal  with  the  various  problems  both  civil  and 
criminal  that  now  characterize  the  treatment  of  the  family  groups 
of  which  dependent  and  delinquent  children  are  members  will  re- 
quire constitutional  interpretation  and  possibly  constitutional  amend- 
ments that  will  demand  a  study  of  the  entire  judicial  system  of 
Cook  County.     Family  problems  in   Cook  County  are,  moreover, 

8  Kurd's  Illinois  Revised  Statutes  1919,  ch.  37,  sec.  264  fol. 

»  Ibid.,  eh.  .'^8,  sec.  noOb. 

1"  Report  of  the  City  Council  Crime  Committee  of  the  City  of  Chicago,  Mar.  22,  1915, 
p.  60  fol. 

"  Twelfth,  Thirteenth,  and  Fourteenth  Annual  Reports  of  the  Municipal  Court  of 
Chicago,  Dec.  2,  1917,  to  Dec.  5,  1920,  p.  154, 


COOPEKATION   WITH   OTHER  AGENCIES.  107 

dealt  with  not  only  by  the  circuit  court  and  the  court  of  domestic 
relations  but  also  by  the  superior,  probate,  and  county  courts,  all  of 
them  constitutional  tribunals.  The  constitution  confers,  too,  upon 
the  criminal  court  of  Cook  County  the  criminal  and  quasi-criminal 
jurisdiction  that  is  exercised  by  the  circuit  courts  in  other  counties.^^ 
Such  jurisdiction  is  not,  however,  specifically  denied  to  the  circuit 
court  by  the  constitution;  and  it  is  possible  that  over  certain  classes 
of  offenses  concurrent  jurisdiction  with  the  criminal  court  might 
be  granted  to  the  circuit  court  and  that  agreements  similar  to  that 
already  arrived  at  in  the  handling  of  truant  children  might  place  the 
handling  of  the  problems  of  the  adult  involved  in  a  family  situation 
in  the  juvenile  branch  of  the  circuit  court.^^ 

One  difficulty  now  constantly  confronting  the  juvenile  court,  how- 
ever, is  the  large  number  of  cases  as  well  as  the  great  variety  of 
problems.  It  is  therefore  difficult  to  contemplate  any  considerable 
increase  in  the  court's  burden.  If  certain  questions  of  jurisdiction 
now  at  issue  between  the  juvenile  court  and  other  courts,  such  as  that 
of  jurisdiction  over  older  boys,  continued  jurisdiction  over  children 
committed  to  institutions,  or  bastardy  jurisdiction,  could  be  so  deter- 
mined as  to  fix  the  court's  responsibility  for  those  groups  of  problems, 
other  adjustments  looking  toward  a  corresponding  reduction  of  the 
court's  burden  might  be  contemplated.  Nor  can  the  ultimate  devel- 
opment of  the  court  be  profitably  discussed  without  at  the  same  time 
giving  thorough  consideration  to  the  development  of  the  public- 
relief  agencies  of  the  community,  and  to  the  provision  of  greater 
facilities  for  doing  certain  work  with  which  the  court  is  already 
charged,  as,  for  example,  giving  to  it  adequate  provision  for  "  plac- 
ing out"  the  children  under  its  care  with  as  well  as  ivithout  the 
payment  of  board.  In  this  discussion,  it  is,  however,  impossible  to 
go  into  these  questions  of  enlarged  community  resources  for  child 
care. 

1=  Constitution  of  1870,  Art.  VI,  sec.  26.  Hurd"s  Illinois  Revisied  Statutes  1919,  p. 
LXVII. 

1^  Since  this  was  written  the  Illinois  Constitutional  Convention,  now  sitting,  has  formu- 
lated proposals  for  the  consolidation  of  the  courts  of  Cook  County  that  would  obviate 
the  difficulties  referred  to.  The  convention's  plan  contains  express  sanction  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  juvenile  or  domestic  relations  court  as  a  branch  of  the  contemplated 
consolidated  court.  See  Report  of  the  Committee  on  Phraseology  and  Style  of  the  Illinois 
Constitutional  Convention  of  1920.     Report  No.  18,  p.  16. 


LIST  OF  REFERENCES  TO  ILLINOIS  STATUTORY 
SOURCES. 

Constitution  of  1870,  Art.  VI,  sec.  26  (Hurd's  Illinois  Revised  Stat- 
utes, p.  LX  VII). 

Session  Laws  : 

1830-31,  p.  103,  sec.  43. 

1879,  p.  309. 

1883,  p.  168. 

1891,  p.  52,  sec.  9. 

1893,  p.  23,  sees.  16  and  17. 

1895,  p.  295. 

1899,  p.  131. 

1901,  p.  141. 

1905,  pp.  151,  152. 

1907,  pp.  59,  70. 

1911,  p.  126. 

1917,  p.  536. 

1919,  pp.  780-782. 

1921,  p.  162. 

Revised  Laws  of  Illinois  : 

1827,  p.  124,  sees.  4,  29,  46,  47,  48,  50. 
1833,  p.  209,  sec.  158. 
1867,  p.  42,  sec.  16. 

Hurd's  Illinois  Revised  Statutes : 
1874,  ch.  75,  sec.  11. 
1897,  ch.  118. 
1919,  p.  LXVII; 
ch.  4,  sec.  1 ; 
ch.  17,  sec.  4  r 

ch.  23,  sees.  169,  170,  171,  172,  173,  175,  177,  177a,  177b, 
I77d,  177e,  178,  179,  180,  181,  183,  185,  186,  187, 
188,  190,  190d,  191-215,  271,  298  fol.,  313,  324, 
328,  341 ; 
ch.  37,  sees.  264  fol.,  265 ; 
ch.  38,  sees.  283,  509b ; 
ch.  122,  sees.  144,  320-347. 

109 


INDEX. 


Abbott,  E.,  and  Breckinridge,  S,  P. : 

Administration  of  the  Aid  to  Mothers 
Law    in    Illinois,    footnotes    on 
pages  9.  18,  41. 
Truancy    and    Nonattendance    in    Chi- 
cago Schools,  18   (footnote). 
See  also   Breckinridge,    S.   P.,   and   Ab- 
bott, E. 
Adjustment  of  cases  without  court  action  : 
Agency  cooperation  in,  100-102. 
Extent  and  method  of,  42-46. 
In  delinquent  boys'  cases,  41. 
In  delinquent  girls'  cases,  39. 
Informal  complaint  giving  opportunity 
for,  35. 
Adoption  : 

Appointment  of  guardian  with  author- 
ity to  consent  to,  12-13,  79. 
Investigations,  42. 
Proceedings,  13. 
Adults  : 

Lack  of  jurisdiction  over,  16. 
Relationship      between      juvenile     and 
other  courts  in  cases  involving, 
103-104. 
Age  groups   under   court's  jurisdiction,    11, 

12,  15,  19. 
Age  of  criminal  responsibility,  1. 
Aid  to  mothers  cases  : 

Conference  committee,  41-42,  62. 
Disposition,  64,  68,  70. 
Hearings,  62. 

Investigation,  36,  38,  41-42. 
.lurlsdiction,   11,  12. 
Number,  17-18. 
Records,  34. 
Supervision  of,  12,  31. 
Aid  to  mothers  division  : 

Committee      reviewing     investigations 

made  by,  38.  42. 
Function,  22.  31. 

Investigations  of  applications  for  moth- 
ers' pensions  by,  36.  38.  41-42. 
Records,  34. 
Staff,  31. 

Supervision  by,  12,  31. 
Aid  to  mothers  law  : 

Disposition  of  cases  under,  68. 

Funds    for    pensions     granted     under. 

9-10. 
History  of,  »-10. 


Annual  reports  : 

Citations,  14,  52-53,  80. 

Contents,  33. 

Statistics  from.  17-21,  43-44. 
Anonymous  complaints,  36,  101. 
Appointment     of    probation     officers,     7-8, 

28-30. 
Arnold,   Judge   Victor  P.,   20    (footnote). 
Arrangement  of  court  room,  58-59. 
Arrest  of  children,  1,  35,  57. 
Assistant  to  judge  in  girls'  cases  : 

Appointment.  27-28. 

Legal  status.  28. 

Methods.  61-62. 

Powers,  28. 
Attorney,  representation  by,  60. 

Bastardy,  12,  13-14,  45,  104,  105. 
Board   of  Commissioners    of   <  ook   County  : 
Appropriation    of    funds    for    mothers' 

pensions  by,  10. 
Committee     to     investigate     court     ap- 
pointed by.  7,  15. 
Determination  of  probation  officers'  sal- 
aries by.  30. 
Management    of    detention     home    by, 

30,  51. 
Power  to  select  probation  officers,  6,  7. 
Taking    over    of   medical   examinations 
by,  47. 
Breckinridge,    S.    P.,    and    Abbott,    E.,    The 
Delinquent  Child  and  the  Home, 
footnotes  on  pages  6,  18,  20,  27, 
92. 
See  also  Abbott,  B.,  and  Breckinridge, 
S.  P. 
Bureau  of  Personal  Service   (  Jewish  Social 

Service  Bureau),  6,  :>6,  101. 
Bureau  of   social   registration,   37,   40,    100. 

Case  records  : 

Access  to,  34. 

Filing.   34. 

Information  included  in,  33-34.  73,  74. 

Lack  of  study  of,  21. 

Making  out  of,  at  detention  home,  54. 

Use  of,  in  probation  work,  73. 
Case   stories,    57-58,    82-83,    89-90,    97-98, 
102-103. 

Continued  for  definite  period,  66-68. 

Of  children  placed  on  probation.  75-78. 

Of  neglect.  22,  23,  24^25,  45.  46. 
Ill 


112 


INDEX. 


Cases,  classes  of,  under  court's  jurisdiction, 

11-14. 
Cases  cited : 

County  of  McLean  v.  Humphreys,  104 

111.  378,  3   (footnote). 
Dunn     V.    Chicago    Industrial    School, 

280   111.  613,  3,    (footnote). 
Gilbert  et  al.  v.  Sweitzer,  211  111.  App. 

438,  8  (footnote). 
Hosking  v.   So.  Pac.   Co.,   243  111.   320. 

13  (footnote). 
Lindsay    v.    Lindsay,    257    111.      328,    8 

(footnote). 
P.  V.  Olson,  245  111.  288,  13  (footnote). 
People  V.  C,  B.  &  Q.  B.  R.  Co.,  273  111. 

110,  7  (footnote). 
People    V.    Chicago,    Lake    Shore    and 
Eastern   R.   R.   Co.,   27   111.   447, 
10    (footnote). 
Petition    of    Ferrier,    103    111.    367,    3 

(footnote). 
Witter  V.  Cook  County  Commissioners, 
256  111.  616,  7  (footnote). 
Catholic  Home  Finding  Association  of  Illi- 
nois, 85. 
Chancery  jurisdiction,  5. 
Character  of  the  court,  11. 
Charity  Service  Reports,  Cook  County.     See 
Cook     County    Charity     Service 
Reports. 
Chicago  and  Cook  County  School  for  Boys, 

87,  88,  93. 
Chicago  Bar  Association,  5. 
Chicago  Board  of  Education  : 

Assignment  by,  of  teacher  to  detention- 
home  -school,  9. 
Compulsory-education,    department    of, 

12,  42,  70. 
Cooperation  of,  in  securing  passage  of 
juvenile  court  act,  5. 
Chicago  Home  for  Girls,  88. 
Chicago  Parental  School  for  Boys,  69. 
Chicago  Parental  School  for  Girls,  69. 
Chicago  Woman's  Club,  4. 
Chief  probation  officer  : 
Duties,  30-31. 

Examinations  for  position  of,  7. 
Membership    on    committee    passing   on 

mothers'  pension  cases,  62. 
Report  of,  14,  33,  49,  52-53. 
Reports  to,  of  child-placing  agency  re- 
ceiving  children    for   placement, 
85. 
Reports  to,  of  officer  in  charge  of  police 

probation  officers,  40. 
Representation    on    dependent-case-con- 

fercncp   committee,   37. 
Responsibility    of,    for    children    placed 
under     guardiansnip     of     court 
officers,  93. 
Restitution    for   damages   received   and 

paid  out  by,  90. 
Suspension  of,  by  president  of  board  of 
county  commissioners,  7. 


Child-placing   division  : 

Appointment  of  head  of,  as  guardian, 

80,  82,  93. 
Clubs  established  for  wards  of,  81-82. 
Conditions  of  placement  in  homes  by, 

80-81. 
Distinction    between    "  child    placing " 
under,  and  supervision   of  child 
in  home  other  than  his  own  by 
family-supervision  division,  72. 
Function,  31,    80. 
Number  of  cases  cared  for  by,  80. 
Records  of,    81 
Reports  of  officers,  82. 
Requirements  formulated  by,  for  homes 
in  which  wards  of  the  court  are 
placed      as      mothers'      helpers, 
80-81. 
Savings  handled  by,  82. 
Staff,  31. 

Supervision  by,  82-83. 
Child-placing  societies,  commitment  to,  71, 

84-85. 
Children's  Hospital  Society,  47. 
Circuit  court : 

Chicago  juvenile  court  as  branch  of,  11. 
Hearing  by  juvenile  court   of  adoption 

cases  filed  in,  12. 
Jurisdiction       of,        over     dependency 

cases,  3. 
Jurisdiction    of,    over      family      cases, 

106-107. 
Selection  of  judge  of  juvenile  court  by 

judges  of,  26. 
Selection     of    probation    officers    dele- 
gated to  judge  of  juvenile  court 
by  judges  of,  7. 
Civil-service  appointees  to  probation   staff, 

29. 
Civil-service  commission,  6,  7. 
Civil-service  method  of  appointment,  28. 
Colorado  Revised  Statutes,  63  (footnote). 
Commissioners  of  Cook  County.     See  Board 
of        Commissioners      of      Cook 
County. 
Complaints  : 

Anonymous,  36,   101. 

Clearing   of,    at    confidential   exchange, 

37. 
Handling  of,   by    police   probation   offi- 
cers, 32,  40-41. 
In  delinquent  boys'  cases,  32,  39—41. 
In  delinquent  girls'  cases,  39. 
In  dependent  children's  cases,  36-37. 
Informal  adjustment  of,  42—46. 
Preliminary  scrutiny  of,  36-37. 
Substitution  of,   for  petitions,  35. 
Supervised,  38,  44,  45-46. 
Treatment  of.   regarding  Jewish   fami- 
lies, 101-102. 
Compulsory-education   department,   Chicago 
board    of    education,    investiga- 
tion   of    truancy    cases    by,    12, 
42,   70. 
Concurrent  jurisdiction,   13,  107. 


INDEX. 


113 


Confidential     exchange     (Registration     bu 
reau),    clearing    complaints    at 
37,  40,    41,    100. 
Constitutionality  : 

Of  appointment  of  probation  staff,  6-8 
Of  juvenile  court  law,  8. 
Contested  cases,  26,  60,  62. 
Continuance  : 

For  definite  period,  65,  68. 
General,  63-64,  68,  69,  70,  71. 
Continuing  jurisdiction,  91,  94. 
Cook  County,  jurisdiction  in,   11. 
Cook  County  Board  of  Visitors,  93,  97. 
Cook   County  Charity   Service  Reports,   33, 
and  footnotes  on  pages  1,  G,  14, 
20,    28,    31,    41,   47,   49,    51,    52, 
53,   55,    58,   65,   73,    SO,    87,   90, 
98,  103,  104. 
Cook  County  Detention   Hospital,   8. 
Cooperation  : 

Of  employers  with  Juvenile  court,   74. 
Of    other    courts    with    juvenile    court, 

103-107. 
Of  public   officials  with  probation   ofli- 

cers.  84. 
Of  social  agencies  with  juvenile  court, 
30,  36,  37,  100-103. 
County  agent : 

Commitment  to,  of  children  placed   in 
public     institutions     at     county 
expense,  85. 
Membership   of,   on    committee  passing 
on    mothers'    pension    applica- 
tions, 62. 
Payment  of  funds  to  parents  by,  9. 
County      board      of      commissioners.      See 
Board      of      Commissioners      of 
Cook   County. 
County  bureau  of  public  welfare,  98. 
County   of  McLean   r.    Humphrys,   3    (foot- 
note). 
Court  order  : 

Continued  for  definite  period,  65-68. 
Continued  generally,  63-65. 
Dismissed,   63-65. 
Final  order.     See  Final  order. 
Payment     for     support     of    dependent 
child   in  institution,  16,  38,   87. 
Court   procedure  : 

At  hearings,  59-60. 
Need   for   reforming,   prior   to    passage 
of  juvenile  court  law,  4. 
Crimes  against  children,  104. 
Criminal  code,  1,  2. 
Criminal   court : 

Jurisdiction,  107. 

Procedure    in    cases    of   older   boys    on 
probation    committing    new    of- 
fense,   15-16. 
Transfer    of    juvenile-court    cases    to, 

88-90,   104. 
Trial    of    children    committing    serious 
offenses,  14-15. 
Criminal  procedure,   35. 
Criminal  re.sponsibiIity,  ag,^  of,  1. 
Custodial   agencies,  relation  of,  to  juvenile 
court,   91-99. 


Defectives,    schools    for,    commitments    to, 

70,    85 
Delinquency,  contributing  to,  104,  105. 
Delinquent  boys  : 
Age,   19,  21. 
Division    in    charge    of,    31,   36     39-41 

72,  74. 
Institutions  for,   S7-SS. 
Investigation    of    ca.ses    involving,    30 

39-41. 
Offenses,  18-19,  20,  89. 
Delinquent  boys'  division  : 

Care  of  boys  under  guardianship,  S.S- 

84,   93. 
Conditions  of  placement  in  farm  homes 

by,  83. 
Function,  31. 

Investigations  by,   36,  39-40. 
Monthly  report  of  officers,  of.  84. 
Probationary  supervision  by,  72,  74. 
Reports    of   boys    placed    on    farms    to 

officers   of,   84. 
Staff,  31. 
Delinquent  children  : 

Age  distribution,  IS,  19,  21. 
Commitment  to  institutions,  70,  85-86 

87-SS. 
Definition,   11-12.  14,  15. 
Detention,  49,  51,  54.  55,  90. 
Disposition   of  cases   involving,   O.Ves, 

70-71,  87-90. 
Guardians  appointed  for,  7S-84. 
Hearings,  58,  59-60. 
Investigation  of  cases  involving,  35-36 

39-41. 
Jewish,   101-102. 
Number  of  cases  involving,   17-lS    19 

20. 
Offenses,    18-19,   20-21. 
Probationary  supervision  of,  71-78. 
Problems  of,   18,   25. 
Sex,    18,    19. 
Delinquent   Child,    The.    and    the    Home,    by 
Breckinridge,  S.  P.,  and  Abbott, 
Edith,    20. 
Delinquent  girls  : 
Age,   19,  21. 

Divi.sions  in  charge  of,  31,  36,  39,  72. 
Hearings,   27-28,   61-62. 
Institutions   for,    88. 
Investigation    of    cases    involving,    39     " 

61. 
Offenses,  18-19,  20-21. 
Dependency,    contributing  to,    104,    105. 
Dependent-case-conference  committee,  30-31, 

37-39,  102. 
Dependent  children  : 

Age   distribution,    21. 

Commitment  to  child-placing  societies, 

71,    84-85. 
Commitment    to    institutions,    38,    60 

85,   8(>-S7. 
Definition,  12,  15,  22. 
Detention,  51,  54. 

Disposition   of  cases   involving,   63-68. 
Guardians   appointed    for,    70,   71     7S- 
81. 


114 


INDEX. 


Dependent  chlldien — Continued. 
Hearings,   60-61. 
Investigation    of   cases    involving,    36— 

39. 
Jewish,   101-102. 

Number  of  cases  involving,  17-18,  21. 
Problems  of,  21-25,  75-78. 
Sex,  21. 

Supervision  of  cases  involving,  71-74. 
Deportation,  70,  71,  85. 
Deputy  chief  probation  officer,  30-31,  37. 
Detention  : 

Before  1899,  1,  4. 

First     detention      facilities     provided, 

8-9. 
Juvenile  court  laws,  provisions  in,  re- 
garding, 5,   8,  35,  49. 
Policy,   49.  52-53. 
Use  of  police  stations,   53. 
Detention    home  : 

Average   daily   population,   51. 
Average  length  of  stay  in,  51. 
Building,  8-9,  53-54. 
Clothing  of  children,  56. 
Daily  routine,  55-56. 
Dental  work,  55. 
Dietary,  56. 
Equipment,   53—54. 

Investigation    of,    by    Hotchkiss    com- 
mittee, 51. 
Management  of,   51. 
Medical,  psychological,  and  psychiatric 

examinations,   47-48. 
Number  cared  for,   50. 
Overcrowding,   51-53. 
Reception  of  children,  54-55. 
Recreation,  56. 
Report   of  matron  of,   33. 
Return   to,   after   hearing,   50,   69. 
School,    9,    53,    55-56. 
Sources  from  which   children  were  re- 
ceived, 50. 
Use  of,  as  disciplinary  measure,  53,  90. 
Development    of    the    court,    5—10. 
Discharge  of  probation  officers,  28-29. 
Dismissed  cases,  63-64,  68,  69,  70,  71. 
Dispensary  in  juvenile-court  rooms,  47. 
Disposing  of  children  for  money,  24-25. 
Disposition  of  cases  : 

Adjusted  without  court  action,  43-44. 
Dismissal  and  continuance,  63-68. 
Final   order — 

Delinquency  cases,  70. 
Dependency  cases,  71. 
Effect,  68. 

Feeble-minded  cases,  69. 
Mothers'  pension  cases,  70. 
Truancy  cases,  69. 
Supplementary    methods    of    treatment 

of  delinquent  children,  90. 
See  also  Appointment  of  guardian, 
Commitment,  Deportation,  Pro- 
bation, and  Transfer  to  criminal 
court. 
Domestic-relations  branch  of  municipal 
court,  13,  104,  105-106. 


Dunn  V.  Chicago  Industrial  School,  3  (foot- 
note). 

Employers,  visits  to,  36,  74,  80-81,  83,  84. 
Equipment  of  juvenile  detention  home,  53- 

54. 
Evidence : 

As  to  moral  character  of  parents,  38. 
In    adoption    cases    heard    by   juvenile- 
court  judge,  13. 
Examinations : 

Mental,  42,  46-48. 
Physical,   46-47. 
Exclusive  jurisdiction  of  juvenile  court,  11, 
15. 

Family    problems,    jurisdiction    over    cases 

involving,   103-107. 
Family-supervision  division  : 
Follow-up  work  of,  98-99 
Function,  31. 
Investigations  by,  36,  39. 
Representation   on  dependent-case   con- 
ference committee,  37. 
Return  to  court  by,  of  cases  not  show- 
ing improvement,  74. 
Stafe,   31. 

Supervision  by,  72,  74. 
Farm  placements,  81,  83-84. 
Feeble-minded  cases  : 
Detention,  50. 
Diagnosis,  47-48. 
Disposition,  64,  68,  69. 
Investigation,  42. 
Hearings,    62. 
Jurisdiction  over,  13. 
Number,  18. 
Fifteenth  Biennial  Report  of  the  Board  of 
State    Commissioners    of    Public 
Charities  of  the  State  of  Illinois 
(1898),  5    (footnote). 
Filing   system,    34. 
Final  order  of  court : 

Delinquency  cases,  70. 
Dependency  cases,  71. 
Effect,    68. 

Feeble-minded  cases,  69. 
Mothers'  pension  cases,  70. 
Truancy  cases,   69. 

See     also     Appointment     of     guardian. 
Commitment,    Deportation,    Pro- 
bation, and  Transfer  to  criminal 
court. 
Fines,  1   (footnote),  90. 
Follow-up   work   with   dependent   child  and 

family,  31,  82,  98-99. 
Foreign-language-speaking  officers,  32. 
Funds  to  parents  act.  9. 

See  also  Aid  to  mothers  act. 

Gilbert  et  al.  r.  Sweitzer,  8. 
Grand  jury  : 

In   cases   of  children    committing   seri- 
ous offenses,  14,  70,  89. 

Investigation  of  court  by,  28. 
Guardian  : 

Consent  to  adoption,  by,  12-13. 

Contact  with  child's  own  home,  82. 


INDEX. 


115 


Guardian — Continued. 

Frequency   of  appointment   of,    70,   71, 

79. 
Order,   78-79. 

Persons  appointed,  80,  83,  101!. 
Placing  of  children  by,  80-84. 
Subsequent  relation  of  court  to,  91-93. 

Health,  parental  responsibility  for,  24. 
Healy,  Dr.  William,  47-48. 

Individual  Delinquent,  18   (footnote). 

Mental    Conflicts   and    Misconduct,    18 
(footnate). 
Hearings : 

Adoption  cases,  13. 

Aid  to  mothers  cases,  62. 
■     Compul.sory  attendance  at,  57-58. 

Contested  cases,  26,  60,  62. 

Delay  in,  52,  57,  65. 

Delinquent  boys'  cases,  59,   60. 

Delinquent  girls'  cases,  61-62. 

Dependent  children's  cases,  60-61. 

Feeble-minded  children's  cases,  62. 

Number,  35,  58,  64,  69,  70,  71. 

Summons,  57-58. 

Time  and  place,  58-59. 

Truancy  cases,  12,  59-60. 
Home  visits,  34,  40,  72,  74. 
Hosking  v.  So.  Pac.  Co.,  13  (footnote). 
Hospitals,  commitment  to,  70,  85. 
Hotchkiss  committee,  15   (footnote),  51,  95. 
House  of  correction,  3,  4,  87-88. 
House  of  the  Good  Shepherd,  88. 
Hurley,  T.  D. : 

Development    of    the    Juvenile    Court 
Idea,  4    (footnote). 

Juvenile  Courts  and  What  They  Have 
Accomplished,   4    (footnote). 

Illegitimacy,  12,  13-14,  45,  104,  105. 
Illinois   Children's   Home  and   Aid   Society, 

6,   84,  85. 
Illinois  Department  of  Public  Welfare,  48, 

94. 
Illinois  Federation  of  Women's  Clubs,  5. 
Illinois  Home  for  Juvenile  Offenders,  2. 
Illinois  Industrial  Association,  8. 
Illinois  State  Board  of  Charities,  4,  5. 
Illinois  juvenile  court  act : 

Date  enacted,  2,  3,  5. 

History  of,  3-5. 

Original  provisions,  5. 

8ee  also  Juvenile  court  law. 
Illinois  State  Conference  of  Charities,  4. 
Imprisonment    of    minors    in    penitentiary, 

1  (footnote),  2. 
Incompetent  probation  officers,  dismissal  of, 

28-29. 
Indictment,  14,  35,  70. 
Industrial  schools  : 

Acts  providing  for,  3,  86. 

Follow-up  work  with  families  of  chil- 
dren committed  to,  31. 

Procedure  in  commitment  to,  60. 

Number  of,  86. 

Relation  of  court  to,  92,  95-96. 


Informal  adjustment  of  cases.    See  Adjust- 
ment of  cases  without  court  ac- 
tion. 
Inspection  of  custodial  agency,  91,  94. 
Institute  of  Juvenile  Research,   47-48,   53, 

62,  69. 
Institutions  : 

Certification  of,  94. 
Commitment  to,  of — 

Delinquent  boys,  70,  85,  87-88. 
Delinquent  girls,  70,  85-86,  88. 
Dependent    children,    38,    60,    85, 

86-87. 
Feeble-minded  children,  69. 
Truants,  69-70. 
Follow-up  work  with   families  of  chil- 
dren committed  to,  30-31,98-99. 
Placement   of   children    in    private,   by 

child-placing  division,  80. 
Recovery    of    children    escaping    from, 

97-98. 
Relation    of    court    to,    subsequent    to 
commitment  of — 
Delinquent  children,  30-31,  93-94. 
Dependent  children,  94-97. 
Interpreters,  29,  32. 
Investigation  : 

Adoption  cases,  13,  42. 
Aid-to-mothers  cases,  41-42. 
Bastardy  cases,  13-14. 
By  private  agencies,  36,  100-102. 
Delinquent  boys'  cases,  39-40. 
Delinquent  girls'  cases,  39. 
Dependent  children's  cases,  36-39. 
Divisions  and  agencies  making,  35-36. 
Elimination   of  complaints  not   requir- 
ing, 36-37. 
Feeble-minded  cases,  13,  42. 
Police  probation  officers',  40-41. 
Prior  to  filing  petition,  35. 
Truancy  cases,  42. 
Investigation  division  : 

Adjustment  of  complaints,  43^4. 

Function,  31. 

Investigation  of  cases,  35-37,  39-40,  42. 

Reception  of  complaints,  35. 

Relation    to    dependent-case-conference 

committee,  37-38. 
Reports  on  adoption  cases,  42. 
Staff,  31. 
Investigation  of  juvenile  court,  6-7. 

Jail : 

Commitment  of  children  to,  2,  3. 

Detention  of  children  in,  1,  2,  49. 

School  for  boys  in,  4. 
Jewish  agencies,  6,  36,  38,  100,  101. 
Jewish  Aid  Society,  101. 
Jewish     Social     Service     Bureau      (Jewish 
Home    Finding    Society    of   Chi- 
cago), 36,  84,   100,  101. 
John  Worthy  School,  87,  88. 
Judge  of  juvenile  court  : 

Duties,  12,  27. 

Method  of  conducting  hearings.  59-60. 

I'olicy    with    reference    to    serious    of- 
fenses,  14-15. 


116 


INDEX. 


Judge  of  juvenile  court — Continued. 

Qualifications,  27. 

Salary.  26. 

Selection,  26. 

Substitute,  26. 

Woman    assistant    hearing    delinquent 
girls'   cases,  27-28. 
Jurisdiction  : 

Age  groups,  11,  12,  15,  19,  21. 

Area  covered,  11,  106. 

As  branch  of  circuit  court,  12-14. 

Classes  of  cases,  11-14,  43-44. 

Cook  County,  jurisdiction  in,  11. 

Duration,  15. 

Lack  of  criminal,  103. 

Original  and   exclusive,   11-12. 

Over  adults,  16,  61,  103,  104. 

Over  children  accused  of  committing 
serious  offenses,  14-15,  88-90. 

Over  family  cases,  105-107. 

Policy  with  reference  to  exercise  of 
concurrent,  12-13,  14,  15,  105, 
107. 

Retention  of,  after  final  order,  91-92. 

Retention  of,  by  use  of  general  con- 
tinuance order,  G4-65. 

See  also  Follow-up  work  with  dependent 
child  and  family ;  Guardian, 
subsequent  relation  of  court  to  ; 
Institution,  relation  of  court  to, 
following  commitment ;  and  Re- 
covery of  children  escaped  from 
institutions. 
Jury,  1,  35. 

In  dependency  cases,  3,  60-61. 
Justice  of  the  peace,  14,  32,  106. 
Juvenile  court  building,  9,  53,  58-59. 
Juvenile  court  law  : 

Act  of  1899,  5,  8,  11. 

Amendments  enacted,  5,  6,  9,  10  (foot- 
note), 79,  100. 

Appointment  of  guardian,  78-79. 

Authority  for  mental  and  physical  ex- 
aminations under,  46. 

Board  of  visitation,  96-97. 

Commitment  to  institutions,  85,  80,  87. 

Constitutionality,  7,  8. 

Delinquent  child  as  defined  by,  11-12, 
14,  15. 

Dependent  or  neglected  child  as  defined 
by,  12,  15,  22. 

Efforts  to  secure  enactment,  3-5. 

Initiation  of  case,  35. 

Legal  status  of  minors  prior  to  pas- 
sage of,  1-3. 

Related  acts — 

Aid  to  mothers,  9-10. 
Detention  home,  9. 
Domestic-relations    branch   of   mu- 
nicipal court,  104,  106. 
Industrial    and    manual    training 

schools,  3,  60,  86,  95. 
Parental  schools,  12. 


Juvenile  court  law — Continued. 

Relation    of    court    to    private   institu- 
tions, 94. 
Retention  of  jurisdiction  over  commit- 
ted children,  91-92,  95. 
Transfer    of    cases    to    criminal    court, 

88-89. 
See  also  Jurisdiction. 

Juvenile  Court  of  Cook  County,  111..  The, 
Report  of  a  Committee  Ap- 
pointed under  Resolution  of  the 
Board  of  Commissioners  of 
Cook  County.  Aug.  8,  1912,  7 
(footnote),  15  (footnote),  51 
(footnote). 

Juvenile  Protective  Association  (Juvenile 
Court  Committee),  6.  8,  36, 
38,   100. 

Juvenile  Psychopathic  Institute  (Institute 
of  Juvenile  Research),  47-48, 
53,  62,  69. 

Latbrop,  Julia  C,  Development  of  the  Pro- 
bation System  in  a  Large  City, 
4    (footnote),   8    (footnote). 

Legal  papers,  33-34. 

Legal  relationship  of  detention  home  and 
juvenile  court,  51. 

Legal  status  of  probation  staff,   5,  6-8. 

Legal  status  of  woman  assistant  to  Judge, 
28. 

Lindsay  t'.  Lindsay,  8    (footnote). 

Mack,  Judge  Julian  W.,  26    (footnote),  27. 
Legal  problems  involved  in  the  estab- 
lishment  of   the   juvenile   court, 
27    (footnote). 

Manual  training  schools,  3,  31,  60,  86,  92, 
95-96. 

Mary  A  Home,  81,  82. 

Mary    B    Home,    81,    82. 

Massachusetts,   probation    system,   4,    5. 

Massachusetts  Acts  and  Resolves,  1878,  4 
(footnote). 

Medical  care,  46,  47. 

In  detention  home,  53-55. 

Medical   examinations,   46-47. 

Mental  examinations,   42,   46-48. 

Merriam,    Prof.    Charles    E.,    106. 

Mothers'  helpers,  80^81. 

Mothers'  pensions.  See  Aid  to  mothers 
cases. 

Municipal  court : 

Domestic-relations     branch,     13,     104, 

105-106. 
Tenth  and  eleventh  annual  reports  of, 

105  (footnote). 
Twelfth,     thirteenth,     and     fourteenth 
annual    reports    of,    106     (foot- 
note). 

Nationality   as  basis  of  assignment  of  pro- 
bation cases,  32. 
Neglected  child,  5,   9,   12,  63. 
See  also  Dependent  children. 


INDEX. 


117 


Negro  probation  officers.  32. 

New   York   system   of  detention,   4-5. 

Nonsupport,  104,   105. 

Number  of  children  brought  into  court 
17-18. 

Number  of  families  as.signed  to  a  proba- 
tion officer,  73. 

Number  of  probation  officers,   29-30. 

Offenses     of     delinquent     children,     18-19, 

20-21. 
Offices.    53,    58-59. 
Organization    of    the    court  : 
Judge,   12,   26-27,   59-60. 
Probation  officers — 

Appointment    and    discharge,    28- 

29. 
Number,   29^30. 
Organization,   30-32. 
Police  probation  officers,  32-33. 
Salaries,  30. 
Records,  33-34,  40-41. 
Reports,    33,   40. 

Woman  assistant  to  judge,  27-28,  61- 
62. 
Origin  of  the  court,  1-5. 
Original,   exclusive  jurisdiction   of  juvenile 

court,  11,  15. 
Outlying  districts,    probation    work    in,    32. 
Overcrowding   of  juvenile    detention    home, 
51-53. 

P.  r.  Olson,  13   (footnote). 

Parental   schools,    12,   42,   69-70. 

Parental  school  act,   12. 

Parole,  93,   96. 

Payment    by    parent    for  institutional    care 

of    child,    16,    38. 
Penitentiary,    imprisonment    of    minors    in 

1,  2. 
People  V.  C,  B.  and  Q.  R.  R.  Co.,  7    (foot- 
note). 
People    r.    Chicago,    Lake    Shore   &   Eastern 

R.  R.  Co.,  10    (footnote). 
Petition  : 

By  whom  filed.  35. 
Change  of,  68. 

Dismissal  of,  in   transferred   cases,   89. 
For  appointment  of  guardian,   12.' 
For  commitment  to  industrial  or  train- 
ing school,   3. 
In  cases  of  feeble-minded  children,  13 

42,  69. 
In  cases  reportpd  by  policp,  30,  40. 
Investigation    prior    to    filing    of,    35 

37-38,  39. 
Presence    at    hearing   of    officer    filing 

59,  61. 
Public  record.  34. 
Petition   of  Ferrier,   3    (footnote). 
Physical   examinations,   46-47. 
Pinckney,    Judge   Merritt   W.,    1,    26    (foot- 
note),  27,   92-93,   106. 
Place  of  hearing,  58-59. 
Police  magistrate,  14,  35. 


Police  probation  officers  : 
Assignment,    6. 

Investigations  by,  36,  40-41,  42,  43. 
Limitation  of  duties.  33,  65. 
Number,  31. 

Organization,   31,   32-33. 
Presence  at   hearings,   59. 
Records,   40-41. 
Reports,   40. 

Representatives  of  institutions,  95-96. 
Supervision  of  work  of,  32. 
Value  of,   32,  33. 
Police  stations  : 

Conferences    with    boys,    pai'ents,    and 

complainant  at,  41. 
Detention  of  children  in.  8,  49,  53. 
Reception  of  complaints  at,  32,  33. 
Policy   of  juvenile   court : 

Application  of  probation  system,  71. 
Carrying    out    of,    by    chief    probation 

officer,  30. 
Commitment  to   institutions,   85,  86. 
Detention,  49,  52-53. 
Dismissal  and  continuance.  63-68. 
Exercise     of     jurisdiction     over     older 

boys,   15. 
Forming  of,  by  judge,  27. 
Guardianship,  92-93. 
Separation  of  families  because  of  pov- 
erty,  22. 
See  also  Cooperation  with  other  agen- 
cies. 
Preliminary  procedure  : 

Adju.stment  without   court  action    42- 

46. 
Complaint  and  petition,   35. 
Investigation,   35-42. 
Physical     and     mental     examinations, 
46-48. 
Private  nature  of  social  records,  34. 
Probation  : 

Child-placing  as  distinguished  from,  72. 
Continuance  for  definite  period  com- 
pared with,  65. 
Delinquent  children  placed  on.  70,  72. 
Dependent  children  placed  on.  71,'  72. 
Effect  of  order,  71. 
Frequency  of,  as  compared  with  other 

orders,    79. 
Homes    in   which    children    are    placed 

during,   72. 
In  truancy  cases,  69-70. 
Jurisdl(ftion    of   court    over   older    boys 
on,    who    commit    new    offenses, 
15,  88-89. 
Policy  in  application  of.  71. 
Standards  of  probation  work,  7.3-75. 
Supervision  of  delinqtient  hoys  on    74- 

75. 
Supervision  of  delinquent  girls  and  de- 
pendent children  on,  72-74. 
Probation    department : 
Development,   ."i-8. 
Organization.  30-32,  65. 
Records,  34. 
Reports,    84,   40. 


118 


INDEX. 


Probation   officers : 

Appointment,  5-8,  28. 

Assignment,  31,   105. 

Average    number    of    families   assigned 

to,  73. 
Discharge.    28-29. 
Examinations,    7-8. 
Number,  5-6,   29-30. 
Salaries,  5-6,  8,  30. 
Selection,   5-6,   7-8. 
See    also    Chief   probation    officer,    and 
Police  probation  officers. 
Procedure.     See  Court  procedure,  Hearings, 

and  Preliminary  procedure. 
Proceedings  of  the  Conference  on  the  Care 
of  Dependent  Children,   held   at 
Washington,  D.  C,  Jan.  25,  26, 
1909,  86    (footnote). 
Psychological    and    psychopathic    examina- 
tions,  46-48. 
Publication  of  cases,  58. 
Publicity,  avoidance  of,  at  hearings,  59. 

Qualifications  of  probation  officers,  28. 

Reconstructing  homes,  72-73. 
Records  : 

Aid  to  mothers  division,  34. 
Case.     See  Case  records. 
Child-placing  division,  81. 
Clearing  new  cases  with  court,  41. 
Other  records  and  forms,  34. 
Probation  department,  34. 
Social,  private  nature  of,  34. 
Recovery    of    children    escaped    from    insti- 
tutions. 97-98. 
Registration    bureau    (Confidential    ex- 
change), clearing  complaints  at, 
37.  40,  41,  100. 
Rehearings,  41,  68,  70. 
Relation     of     court,     child,     and     custodial 

agency,  91-99. 
Relation  of  juvenile  court  and  other  courts, 

10.3-107. 
Release,  power  of,  82.  91-92,  93-94,  95,  96. 
Report  of  the  County  Board  of  Visitors  of 
Cook  County,  111.,  93  (footnote), 
97  (footnote). 
Report    of    the    City    Council    Crime    Com- 
mittee for  the  City  of  Chicago, 
March  22,  1915,  106  (footnote). 
Reports  : 

Annual,  of  court.     See  Annual  reports. 
Charity     Service.      See    Cook     County 

Charity  Service  Reports. 
Chief  probation  officer's,  14,  33. 
Monthly,    for    division    heads,    on    pro- 
bation work,  34,  40. 
Monthly,  of  officers  of  delinquent  boys' 

division,  84. 
Of  child-placing  division  officers,  82. 
Of  custodial  agency  to  court,  91-92,  93. 
Of    dependent-case-conference    commit 

tee,    38-39. 
Of  Institute  of  Juvenile  Research,  48, 
62, 


Reports — Continued. 

Of  investigation  division,  in  adoption 
cases,  42. 

Of  matron  of-  detention  home,  33. 

Of  probationers  to  probation  officers, 
74,  84. 

On  feeble-minded  cases,  62. 

On  follow-up  work  with  families  of 
dependent  children  in  institu- 
tions, 99. 

On  results  of  private  hearings  of  de- 
linquent girls'  cases  by  woman 
assistant  to  the  judge,  27-28, 
61-62. 

School.     See  School  reports. 
Restitution  for  damages,  90. 
Retention  of  jurisdiction  : 

After  final  order.  91-92. 

By  use  of  general  continuance  order, 
64-65. 

See  also  Follow-up  work  with  depend- 
ent child  and  family  ;  Guardian, 
subsequent  relation  of  court  to  ; 
Institutions,  relation  of  court 
to  following  commitment ;  and 
Recovery  of  children  escaped 
from  institutions. 
Return   of  child   to   his   own   home,   91,   95, 

99. 
Runaway  children,  34,  97-98. 

St.  Charles  School  for  Boys,  87,  88,  93. 

Salaries  of  probation  officers,  5-6,  8,  30. 

Schedule  of  court  hearings,  58. 

School  reports,  39,  73,  74. 

Schooling,    provisions   for,    for    children    in 

working  homes,  81,  84. 
Schools  for  defectives,  commitments  to,  85. 
Sectarian  institutions,  3. 
Separate  hearings,  4. 
Serious      offenses,      children      accused      of 

committing,     jurisdiction     over, 

14-15. 
Settlements,    reporting    of   probationers    at, 

74. 
Social    agencies,    cooperation   with   juvenile 

court,  30,  36,  37,  100-103. 
Social  records  : 

Private  nature  of,  34. 
Use  of,  in  investigation,  40. 
Social-service      department      of      municipal 

court,  106. 
Soldiers'  Orphans'  Home,  Normal,  111.,  86. 
Standards : 

Realization     of,    in    investigations     of 

dependency  cases,  36. 
Standards  of  probation  work,  73-75. 
State  criminologist,  48. 
State  penitentiary,  1. 
State  reformatory,  2,  3. 
State  school  for  the  blind,  85. 
State    school    for    the    feeble-minded,    Lin- 
coln,  111..   50,   69. 
State    Training    School    for    Girls,    Geneva, 

111.,  88,  93,  97. 
State's  attorney,  13,  14,  37,  94,  104. 


INDEX. 


119 


statistical  information  in  annual  report  of 

juvenile  court.  33. 
Status  of  probation  officers,  5,  6-8. 
Stevens,  Mrs.  Alzena  P..  5. 
Summons,  3,  4,  35,  57-58. 
Supervised  complaint,  38,  44,  45-46. 
Supervision  : 

Boys  under  guardianstiip,  83-84. 

Children  on  parole,  93. 

Children  on  probation,  63,  71-78. 

Detention  home,  51. 

Families  of  dependent  children,  12,  61!, 
98-99. 

Guardians  appointed  by  court,  92-93. 

In    cases   continued   for   a    definite   pe- 
riod, 65-68. 

Institutions  receiving  children,  93-97. 

Police  probation  officers,  32. 

Probation  staff,  30-31. 

Wards  of  child-placinR  division,  82-83. 
Support  of  dependent  children  : 

By  parent,  16.  38,  87. 

Public  funds  for,  86. 
Support  order,  dependent  children  commit- 
ted to  institution,  16,  38,  87. 
Supreme  court,  8,  14,  15,  26. 
Suspension   of  probation  officers,   29    (foot- 
note). 

Territorial  assignment  of  probation  work, 
31. 

Thurston,  H.  W..  Ten  Years  of  the  Juvenflo 
Court  of  Chicago,  9  (footnote), 
58  (footnote). 

Time  of  hearings,  58-59. 

Transfer  of  cases  to  criminal  court,  88-90, 
104. 

Trial  of  children  prior  to  passage  of  juve- 
nile court  law,  1. 


Truant  cases  : 

Disposition,  64,  68,  69-70. 

Hearings,  59-60. 

Investigation,  36. 

Jurisdiction,  12. 

Numerical  importance,  18. 
Truant  officers,  12.  32,  36,  ,59-60,  69,  70. 
Tuthill,  Judge  Richard  S.,  26  (footnote). 
Types  of  cases  heard  by  juvenile  court : 

Definition  of,  11,  12. 

Numerical  importance  of  various,  17-18. 

United  Charities,  102,  105. 

Visitation    and    Aid     Society    of    Chicago, 

3-4,  6. 
Visitation  of  institutions  receiving  children, 

91,  94,  96-97. 
Visits  to  homes  of  probationers,  72,  73,  74. 
Vocational  bureau,  78. 
Volunteer    probation    officers,    5-6,    32,    36, 

101. 

"Wages,  deductions  from,  for  support  of  de- 
pendent child  in  institution,  16. 

Warrant,  35,  57. 

Whipping,  1  (footnote). 

White  House  conference  of  1909,  86. 

Wines,  Dr.  Frederick  W.,  4-5. 

Witnesses,  60. 

Witter  V.  Cook  County  Commissioners,  7 
(footnote). 

Woman  assistant  to  judge  in  girls'  cases. 
See  Assistant  to  judge  in  girls' 
cases. 

Woman  physician  to  examine  delinquent 
girls,  47. 

Working  homes  for  girls,  80-83. 

Y.  W.   C.  A.  78. 


o 


tCPr 


